Finding Home
by Sam-Kraft
Summary: After being eaten by the Heartless that attacked her world, Alice is saved by Sora and the gang in Twlight Town. Having no idea how to return home, Alice agrees to travel with the group so she might find her way back home. She learns to trust them, but still has secrets of her own, and feelings that are only starting to bloom.
1. Who are you?

I was never afraid of the dark.

My home, Faerydae, was dark for most of the day. The sun peaked out for maybe three or four hours, but the rest of the hours ticked by in eternal twilight.

I was afraid of _this_ darkness.

It didn't feel right.

My home's darkness was calming; the silhouetted skyline against the not-quite dark sky was breathtaking each night. The crisp air was never too cold, but comforting. This darkness devoured me, lulling me to sleep. I grasped onto the edge of my consciousness, knowing if I fell asleep, I wouldn't wake up. It felt like I was floating; my body couldn't move. I tried flickering my eyes open, but each attempt failed. My limbs hung limp to my side.

I didn't want to die yet.

I had things to do, people to see. But would they want to see me? The last thing I remember was a huge monster attacking the town, and all courage being whisked away. I failed my people, and my punishment was this darkness. Would their screams ever leave my head?

I lingered on the brink of death for what seemed like hours. If this was the end, I at least wish it would hurry up. I hated waiting.

An odd taste filled my mouth. Bitter, as if a very strong tea was being poured down my throat. I swallowed the liquid out of reflex. It was the first movement in what felt like hours. More was poured in my mouth.

I opened my eyes, coughing as I swallowed the last mouthful.

I was alive.

I froze as I realized a boy about my age had been feeding me a bright, yellow-green substance in a bottle. Judging by the colour, it was a low level healing potion, like the ones my people sold. They were easy to make; even a child could mix up a batch in an hour.

I was lying in his arms. Worry sketched across his face; then a brief sigh of relief as he realized I was still alive. I rolled out of his grasp and jumped to my feet, the ruins of my deep purple dress surrounding me. My black hair fell to my chest in a tangle, the hair ties and ribbons long gone.

Some birthday this had been.

My eyes narrowed at the stranger. His chestnut hair was as messy as mine was, and his clothes several sizes too small. What struck fear into me were his bright, cerulean eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked, scratching the back of his head.

I frowned.

"Absolutely perfect. I quite enjoy having strangers force feeding me potions, and invading my personal space." My guard didn't drop. He seemed harmless; but risking my life again wasn't going to happen.

"I'm really sorry about that. When I killed the Heartless, you kind of just...fell out."

I broke eye contact to look around. I wasn't home.

The sun hovered above the horizon, sending beams of light across the town. My bare foot stayed steady on the smooth brick ground. The buildings were painted in shades of orange and yellow. Perhaps I had just yet to be in this part of Faerydae.

"What's a Heartless?" I questioned

"Well, they're...born from the darkness from people's hearts. If someone has enough darkness, it'll swallow them up."

I nodded, but not quite out of understanding.

The monster in my town must have been a Heartless.

"How did you get inside of it?" He stepped forward, and I took one step back. The torn fabric of my clothes dragged along the ground, dirtying the once beautiful dress.

"I was eaten, while trying to fight it, if you must know. Now please, escort me to Faerydae, will you? My father must be worried sick."

His head tilted.

"Fairy Day? Where's that?"

I wanted to laugh.

"Here," I gestured around me. "It looks different, but I have yet to do much exploring of my home."

The boy scratched the back of his head.

"This is Twilight Town."

I crossed my arms.

"Don't be silly. I've never hear of this place. Take me home."

He shook his head.

"The Heartless must've come here right after attacking your Fairy Day place. I have no idea where your world is,"

My mouth felt dry.

This couldn't be happening. This had to be some kind of joke, or a really bad dream. No one has blue eyes; only purple. It was silly to think otherwise.

"You said...world?"

The boy looked away, guilty. That must have been a secret, and he just blew it. No matter, I fully intended to find my way home. I unstrapped my heel; the other one was long lost.

"Where are you going?"

"Home," I snapped.

"But-"

"Sora! We bought more potions! We can leave-"

I froze at the sight of a white duck, wearing a hat. That wasn't so out of the ordinary; the fact that it talked was. He, what seemed to be, glaring at me, strutting past to join his blue-eyed friend. A dog like creature followed the duck.

"Who's she?" It quacked.

Sora pointed to a dark scorch mark of the ground.

"She came out of the Heartless after it ate her,"

"Ate her? Gosh," the dog pitched in.

This was just too much for me. I slapped my cheeks, in an attempt to wake up. This was just an awful dream after drinking too much Fairy Nectar, and spending the night dancing. My home was never attacked; I just had an overactive imagination.

"Wake up, wake up!"

Nothing.

"Hey, Donald, have you heard of Fairy Day?"

"It's Faerydae!" I called. If he was going to say the name, it could at least have been correct.

The duck shook his head.

Sora rubbed his chin.

"Well, maybe we should take her with us? We might find someone who can help-"

I screamed.

Little, black creatures with yellow eyes started crawling out of the ground. They were the same ones that popped up when Faerydae was attacked. One wandered too close, and I couldn't take the sight of it.

I stretched my arm to the sky, and called lightning down. The electricity in the air seemed almost to spark, before disappearing. The creatures, Heartless, were fried.

From behind me I hear the scuttle of fighting. Sora had gotten a strange key like sword from somewhere, and was bashing it around. Donald, like me, was using magic to rid us of the pests. The dog was slamming a shield on anything that came close.

I killed several more, panting.

I wasn't a fighter.

I had my limits, and this dress was one of them. It seemed like the others were at their end too. I took a deep breath, hoping this wouldn't go on for much longer. I killed one more with fire, when I started to feel dizzy.

As if my prayers were answered, a cloaked figure arrived. Very small, I couldn't see his face. The remaining Heartless were wiped out with ease.

"Take this," The cloaked figure handed Sora an orange pouch. "Take the train out of town, and take the girl with you."

The figure dashed away.

"Your Majesty-!" Donald called.

Your Majesty?

I shook my head. The group of three look tired, startled, and just too strange for me. The cloaked figure had said to take me with them, but I had no reason to. I had to find Faerydae.

"Well, this has been fun, but I really must be getting home. Thank you for everything." I curtsied, and turned to leave.

"Wait!" A hand wrapped around my wrist. "He said for you to go with us."

I shook my head.

"A shady stranger told me I should go with three more strangers? No thank you." I tugged at my arm, but he wasn't letting go.

"You can trust him. He's the King,"

"King?" I scoffed. "Of what?"

Donald made a very odd screeching noise that must have been his way of yelling.

"He's _our_ King!"

I dropped my hands on my hips.

"That doesn't change anything. He's not...my King." My King was the only King in Faerydae. I heard of other lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses, but never another King.

"Well, gosh," the dog said, "you can't force her to go,"

"You're not helping, Goofy!" Sora's blue eyes met mine again. "Please will you go with us? If it's the King, he will know of a way to get you home."

I frowned.

Did I have much of a choice? This wasn't my home. This wasn't my _world_. These strangers, although odd, were offering me a ride. But should I take it? I was confident in my magic, but would that be enough? Those Heartless creatures were a pain to fight alone.

I sighed.

"Fine." Sora smiled, but I held up my hand. "If you try anything though, I will fry you like those Heartless."

"Deal. Come on, the train is this way."

I followed the three up the short staircase, and into the station. Sora had mentioned a train, but I had no clue as to what that was. I guessed it was the big, metal square sitting on eight wheels. It seemed to run along tracks.

"Wait up!"

I turned at the sound of a boy's voice. Standing tall with spiky blond hair, he was followed by a chubby brown haired fellow and a girl about my age wearing orange.

Sora turned as well, his grin stretching across his face.

"We just came to see you off. It seemed the right thing to do," said the cubby one.

A train horn rang out. I glanced at the train, wondering if we should hurry.

"You should go get your tickets," The girl suggested. She turned to me. "I'm sorry, we haven't met. I'm Olette; this is Hayner," She gestured to the blond, "And this is Pence."

I held out my hand, offering a hand shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." All three stared at my outstretched hand, questioning what I was doing. I lowered it, my cheeks turning red.

I followed Sora to the ticket counter. He pulled out the pouch their King had given them. I heard Olette gasp.

"What is it?" I looked around for Heartless, but there was nothing.

"The pouch! They're the same," Goofy said.

My eyes narrowed. The pouch looked hand stitched, but the two were identical, including a small, loose thread. It was odd.

"Four tickets, please!" Sora called to the ticket booth. He didn't seem bothered by the anomaly. I started walking closer to the train inch by inch the more the train whistle blew. If this was truly my only way to get home, I wasn't going to miss it.

Sora handed me a piece of paper. I couldn't read the scribbles written across it. How I spoke the same language as them, but couldn't read baffled me. It left an uneasy feeling.

We moved to the train door. The smell of smoke filled the air; the source was a tall pipe on top of the train. I would have to question how these machines worked later.

"Let's go," Sora gestured the door. I gathered my dress up and stepped aboard.

"Hey, Sora? Are you sure we haven't met before?" I heard Hayner ask.

I peeked around the corner. I couldn't see his face, but Sora seemed to be thinking.

"I'm sure. Why do you ask?"

Hayner shrugged.

"Nevermind."

I sat in my seat, flattening my dress. Donald and Goofy sat across from me, casually glancing my way. We were all strangers. Sora seemed the type to trust the man that robbed him, but these two were different. I was the same way; I had no idea who or what they were. My intensions were to get home. Why were they here?

Sora took a seat, to my surprise, beside me. He wiped the back of his hand across his cheek, hiding a tear. I offered a small smile. He must not want to leave his home either.

Sora removed a glass blue orb from his pouch. He looked it over. It matched his strange colored eyes.

"You know, I'm sad." He admitted.

"It's okay, we'll be back." Donald offered.

I gave a small nod, wishing someone could have told me that before I was stolen away. I wanted to see my father. I wanted to sleep in my own bed, with the window open and the air tasting of apples and honey. The air in the train felt dead.

The train lurched to a stop. I sat up, waking from my short nap. Sora jumped out of his seat, racing to the door. He peeked out the window, until the door opened. I too was curious. I moved to the door after Donald and Goofy.

A tall tower reached for the sky. The grass around it was well groomed; the few bushes recently trimmed. I could feel the magic in the air. I moved as fast as I could to catch up with the three.

A sizzling noise caught my attention. The train behind up glowed, disappearing in a bright light. My hopes seemed to crash a little. Where ever this place was, I was stranded.

"There goes our ride," Sora nervously laughed.

A cat like creature stood at the door to the tower. He was twice as tall as all of us, and was focused on peeking inside.

"What's going on?" Donald asked.

The cat chuckled.

"I sent some of my lackeys inside! I heard a powerful sorcerer lives in this tower, which would make a perfect bodyguard for me. See, it doesn't matter how powerful he is, once he's a Heartless, he'll listen to everything I'll say!"

"Heartless?" I asked.

"Yeah, the things born out of the darkness. Say, why am I even talking to you pipsqueaks, anyway? Scram! I'm off schedule as it is!"

"You should find something nicer to do," Goofy suggested. I glanced at him, shaking my head.

"Says who?" The cat turned. He seemed startled. "You two?! Why are you here?"

"What are you doing?" Donald pointed his wand at the cat creature.

"You know him?" I gestured.

"We sure do! Pete's been causing trouble for ages. His Majesty banished him to another dimension, but he busted out." Goofy explained.

Pete stomped his feet, his hands curling into fists.

"Enough of this! Heartless Squad - round up!"

The black creatures crawled across the ground, getting closer. I braced myself to use magic. I used lightening, killing two. They burst into black smoke; disappearing from sight. Sora swung his key-sword, Donald used magic, and Goofy smashed them with his shield. They seemed more experience than I was. I killed one more. I jerked to the side. A Heartless grabbed my dress, pulling me over. My hands dug into the ground. Heartless claws ripped the fabric further. I kicked my foot out, colliding with its head. The Heartless tumbled back. It steadiest itself to attack again. Sora spun, finishing it off with one swing.

I panted, relieved that was the last one. Pete was long gone.

Sora offered his hand, and I accepted. My dress was being a nuisance. Eyeing it, a grabbed it at the shortest point and tore across. Everything below my knees disappeared. I dropped the fabric, kicking it to the side. It was a gift from my father, so having it torn and ruined like this was devastating. I didn't want to rid myself of it, but if I died because of it, I would never see him again.

I offered a smile.

"Shall we?"


	2. Yen Sid's Tower

The tower was made up of many stairs. Only two landings gave us a short break, after fighting more Heartless. I was slowly getting used to fighting, now that my legs were free to move, but I couldn't help but feel like a nuisance.

Reaching the final door, I stood tall, not wanting to show weakness. I was tired and wanted to rest, but the other three seemed eager to see the sorcerer behind the door. I was curious as well; would he be one of my people? Donald needed a wand for magic, and every time I used mine, he gave me a look that said I was not normal.

"Heartless, Heartless, Heartless! Things haven't changed one bit!" Donald's temper seemed to rise with ever step we climbed. I couldn't blame him; this was getting ridiculous.

"Well, it's a good thing we're on the job, then." Goofy offered me a potion, but I declined. At the first chance I got, I would be making my own. He shrugged, and drank it.

"So the worlds aren't at peace after all?" I asked. "I thought this Heartless business was isolated to certain areas."

Sore tilted his head.

"I had hoped all of this wouldn't be happening. Did I mention you talk funny?"

My cheeks burned. I didn't think I had any kind of accent.

"How so?"

He shrugged.

"You just talk so…formal."

I turned away from him, hoping he wouldn't see the look on my face. It was how I was raised, so of course that's how I would talk. It never hurts to be polite.

Donald pushed open the door.

An elderly man with a long white beard sat behind a desk. A pointed blue hat rested on his head, and a thick book in front of him. The air breathed magic, calming me. I eagerly followed them into the room, but one look at his eyes told me he was not one of my people.

"Master Yen Sid! It's an honor!" Both Donald and Goofy dropped into a bow, and I followed into a curtsy. I didn't know who he was, but if these two were giving respect, it would be best if I did as well.

"Hey there!" Sora gave a half wave, not following our gestures.

"Sora! Show some respect!" Donald pulled at his sleeve, trying to make the teen bow before the sorcerer. Sora did for a brief moment, but then Yen Sid, as Donald had called him, waved for us to stand up proper.

"So, you are Sora. Who is this?"

I swallowed. There was something about this man.

"This is…Ah! We haven't even introduced ourselves yet! I'm Sora, this is Donald and Goofy."

I held my hand out for Sora to take, but once again, my offer went ignored.

"I am Alice Févi. I am searching for my home."

Yen Sid seemed satisfied with my introduction.

"Now then, have you seen the King yet?"

"Yes," Goofy nodded. "We did, Master. But we didn't get a chance to talk to him."

Yen Sid stroked his beard. His eyes lingered to me for a moment, examining my dress and then my face. Did he know who I was? I was from Faerydae, not this place. He couldn't have known.

"Yes...the King has been quite busy of late. Therefore, it would seem that the task of instructing you four falls upon my shoulders. You have a perilous journey ahead of you. You must be well prepared."

Sora slouched, obviously dismayed by the idea of a journey.

"You mean...we have to go on another quest? I was looking forward to finding my friend Riku, so we could go back to the islands."

I glanced at him. Islands? I thought his home was the Twilight Town we just came from. He seemed depressed leaving Hayner, Pence and Olette. I thought he must have known them for years, and grew up in that town. His skin did have a natural tan to it, but I would have never guessed he was an islander.

"Yes. I know. However, everything in your journey, Sora, is connected. Whether you will find your way home to the islands... Whether you will return alone or with your friend... And, whether or not the islands will still be there. And the key that connects them all is you, Sora."

Sora's eyebrows knitted together.

"I'm...the key?"

Sora held out his hand. I was about to question why he was doing such a thing, when a flash of light erupted. The moment it faded, the strange key-sword weapon appeared. Was it magic?

"Chosen wielder of the Keyblade! You are the key that will open the door to light."

Sora nodded. Yen Sid casts a look towards Donald and Goofy, and the two stand up straighter. I too do the same, linking my fingers together and holding them in front of me as I was taught.

Yen Sid waved his hand over the desk. A book materialized. He sent it flying to Sora with a flick of the wrist. Sora grabbed it, and brought it close to his chest. I peek at the words, but I couldn't read the language written on the pages.

"This book contains valuable knowledge you will need for your journey. Study it carefully. Once you have finished, we will speak of the enemies you will surely confront."

Sora let out a sigh, and walks to an empty chair. I followed, curious about what the book read. I didn't want to go on some journey; I just want to go home. If I could find any information about how to keep the Heartless away from my home, I would find it out. I won't disappoint my people again.

"What does it say?" I ask, embarrassed. Back home, my bookshelves put libraries to shame. I spent my days reading, but here I couldn't read a single letter.

"'The Beginning,'" Sora started, not questioning why I couldn't read it over his shoulder. "Each journey gives rise to chance encounters, and each encounter brings forth a farewell. When a farewell leads to a journey, the worlds open their hearts. Those chosen by the light, or ensnared by darkness. Friends who share the same bonds, though their paths may differ. When you doubt the path trod thus far, when the hand you held is lost to you, gaze anew at the heart that once was...for all the answers are within.

"Interlude - A long dream. A sad farewell, hanging in the air in that "world between". What is reality? What is illusion? The path chosen by the young boy leads to his memories. When caught in the stream of the days and nights going past, gaze anew at your steps...for there all confusion will end. "The Future Story - Will the day come when this battle, born of confusion, will end? It is different things to different people. Can the reality be that which is hidden? The reason is mere existence. Still, memories can be believed. Be not afraid. Entrust your body to the soothing waves of your memories. By and by, your fleeting rest will be over...and everything will begin."

"Interesting," I nodded. "But wait a moment-how come the Heartless are still present?"

A small creeped on Yen Sid's old lips.

"Sora's past endeavors did prevent an immense effusion of Heartless from the great darkness; make no mistake about that. However, the Heartless are darkness made real-and darkness lingers yet in every heart. The Heartless are fewer. But while darkness exists in a single heart, it will be difficult to eliminate them."

Sora, Donald and Goofy sighed, but I was growing eager to learn more.

"I see. That must mean if everybody's heart was full of light, then the Heartless would go away."

Yen Sid nodded. He waved his hand, and an image appeared of one of the Heartless.

"Now it is time to speak of the enemies that you will encounter. If one such as you, Alice, yields to the darkness in their heart, they too will become a Heartless. But you know this. The Heartless are always lurking and ever seeking to capture new hearts. Never let your guard down! Now then..."

The sorcerer waved his hand once more, and the image change to that of an ugly, white creature. It had a strange mark on its forehead. I recognized it.

"At times, if someone with a strong heart and will-be they evil or good-becomes a Heartless, the empty shell they leave behind begins to act with a will of its own. An empty vessel whose heart has been stolen away... A spirit that goes on even as its body fades from existence-for you see, Nobodies do not truly exist at all. Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but this is a ruse-they only pretend to have hearts. You must not be deceived!"

I bit my lip. I had seen the Nobodies the day my home was attacked. I shivered at the thought of these creatures being everywhere out in the worlds.

"Nobodies... They don't exist..." Sora muttered.

"Now then...the being you see before you is known as a Dusk. They are the most common form of Nobody. But there are others-some larger, some with frightening and unique powers. Be vigilant! On your journey, you will meet an alarming number of Dusks. They will all attempt to do you harm."

The image disappeared, replaced with hooded figures. I knew them too. One had been there that day. My anger started to rise.

"The beings you see before you now are different. These powerful Nobodies have formed a group called Organization XIII. It commands the lesser Nobodies."

"Organization XIII…" So there were thirteen of them, meaning I had thirteen targets to take care of. I wanted revenge for my home, and if they were behind it, I would destroy them all.

"While Heartless act on instinct, Nobodies function in a higher manner. They can think and plan. And it seems they are working towards a goal. What that goal is, we do not know. The King sensed the danger, and journeyed forth to fight it. He found the dark realm's Keyblade, and with it, closed the door. Now he's traveling from world to world, fighting the Heartless as he seeks the answer to the riddle of the Nobodies and Organization XIII."

"Then I guess we better go find the King first!" Sora's grin returned. I had to question how he could be so happy when talking about these kinds of matters.

"But where could he be?" Donald asked.

"Well, we won't know 'til we look," Goofy added.

Sora shrugged.

"Yeah. And the King must know where Riku is, 'cause the two of them were together in the realm of darkness when we closed the door. You know, after defeating Ansem."

I was starting to gather that Riku was a friend of Sora's, and they both came from an island. It was noble he was searching for his friend across worlds. I had yet to know how many there even were.

"So, before you go, you will need more suitable traveling clothes.

Those look a bit too small for you, Sora. Your dress is beyond repair, Alice."

Yen Sid nodded towards a door behind him. I though it must have been a closet, but as I focused more, I could feel the magic beyond it.

"Through there, you'll find three good fairies. If you ask, they'll create for you appropriate garments."

"F-Fairies?" The Faeries I knew were dangerous and deadly. They lived in the woods near my home, and loved to prank the villagers if offerings weren't made. I followed Sora into the room. Sheets draped over what must have been a mirror. Three women chatted near the window. They looked nothing like what I pictured.

"Me, you guys, Riku, and the King. I don't care who this Organization is or what it's planning. With the six of us-I mean, seven of us-there's nothing to worry about, right?" Sora flashed me a thumbs up.

"Yeah," I offered, unsure of what to say. I wasn't sure if I could be the save-the-world type, or a fighter, but if it meant coming closer to where home was, I would do it.

"Well, look who's here, dears! Sora, Donald, and Goofy!" The Fairy dressed in red scurried over to Sora, and started pulling at his clothes. The poor boy must've gone a year without new ones.

"Ooh, if you're looking for clothes, you've come to the right place!"

The fairy dressed in blue pressed a hand to my back, and pushed my farther in the room.

"I'll do the designing," said the green one. "You poor girl! Such a pretty face but wearing torn rags? We will fix this!"

"I like this dress-"

The green dressed fairy pointed a wand at me and flicked. My dress turned a dark shade of green, and Sora's clothes the same.

"Oh, that will never do!" Cried the red one. Our clothes turned pink.

"But don't you like this better?"

Blue.

"Hold on!"

Green.

Pink.

Blue.

The fairies continue to flick magic towards my tattered dress, the colors changing every moment. I sighed, just wanting them to decide already. We were getting nowhere with the babbling.

"Aww, would you just decide?"

I mentally thanked Sora for speaking up. The fairies giggled, realizing what they were doing.

"All right, then. Together now, dears. And no more squabbling!"

My dress glowed for a moment, before shifting. The strapless top became a black long sleeved shirt, two purple stripes that matched my eyes ran horizontal at the bottom. The skirt was replaced with black shorts than ended half way to my knee. Pockets covered them; a large purple star resting on my right hip.

The clothes were wonderful; I loved my dress, but I could move in these. The star bothered me though. They could have matched the purple and black to my hair and eyes, but the presence of the star told me they knew something of who I was.

"Oh, my!" The red fairy pulled at my clothes, making sure they fit snug.

"Ooh, it's lovely. You're both lovely!" Cried the green one.

"Oh, yes! They do look very dashing."

Sora's new black outfit with red and yellow fit him much better than the old ones. He seemed much happier already.

"Now, those aren't ordinary garments. Alice, yours will help boost your magic. And Sora," The red fairy handed him an orb. I had never seen anything like it, but as soon as Sora touched it, his clothes flashed, turning red. A second Keyblade appeared in his hands.

The Keyblades were truly wondrous things. I thought only one existed, but it seemed like multiple could be collected. Just what were they?

"I'll do my best. And thanks a lot!" Sora's Keyblades flashed out of existence.

"Yes," I added. "Thank you very much for helping us."

The green fairy let out a gasp, remembering something.

"Oh, and there's something else for you, from Master Yen Sid."

What else could he give us? We already were given clothes, knowledge and a task.

"Oh boy!" Donald ran to the main room, everyone else following. Curious, I eyed the strange, floating machine rising outside the window.

"Hey! It's the Gummi Ship!" Sora jerked his head towards the Gummi Ship. "Are you ready to go?"

I glanced between him and the ship, not entirely sure. Everything was happening so fast. I was never asked if I wanted to join the group, let alone travel to different worlds.

"Now, now, just a moment." Yen Sid calmed the three boys. "Because of your previous endeavors, the worlds have returned to their original states. That means the pathways between them have disappeared."

"How do we get around?" I questioned. I was unsure of how this world travelling worked. Was it like travelling to another country? Did we need to alert them?

"Do not fear. If what the King suspected proves true, the worlds have prepared new pathways along which you may travel. These pathways may be utilized by unlocking special gates. How these gates are opened, I'm afraid I do not know... However, the Keyblade will serve as your guide. When a beam of light radiates from the Keyblade, return to the Gummi Ship. Though the worlds may seem far apart and out of reach, they nonetheless remain connected by invisible ties. As do our hearts. But be warned. As you proceed... The Heartless and the Nobodies will be using their own paths: Corridors of darkness, to travel from world to world. They may be attempting to link these dark pathways to the gates between the worlds."

I crossed my arms.

"Well, that's not very fair."

Sora flashed me a smile, his blue eyes nearly glowing from excitement.

"Now then, that is all the information I can give to you. Go forth, Sora, Donald, and Goofy, Alice. Everyone is waiting."

Sora flashed a thumbs up towards the sorcerer. How he could be so laid back I couldn't understand. If I did such a thing, I would be scolded and sent to my room with no dinner.

"Master Yen Sid," I bowed, making up for Sora's lack of respect. "We appreciate the help. We bid you farewell, and may the stars shine bright for you."

Yen Sid's lips curled into a smile.

"And you, Alice Févi ."

Sora reached down, offering his hand. I grabbed it, glad for the help. I climbed up into the Gummi Ship levitating just off the ground. The air stunk of burning fuel and the noise was deafening. Sora closed the door behind me, and I was thankful for the silence.

"So this machine - it's like a train?" I asked.

Donald shook his head.

"No, no! It's a Gummi Ship!"

I stared at the duck. It was quite obvious it was a Gummi Ship, but _what_ was it. I was curious to know how it ran, and flew through the sky without magic. My questions went unanswered.

"I'll pilot," Goofy offered, disappearing behind a door. Donald left without a word, leaving Sora and I alone.

"Does this ship have rooms?" My limbs ached and the day's events were starting to take a toll on my body. My head pounded and my legs felt as if they would collapse at any moment.

Sora scratched the back of his head.

"It does, but only three. You'll have to wait until the next upgrade for your own room,"

Brilliant.

"Well. Might you have a chair or sofa I can sleep on?"

Sora shook his head.

"I've slept enough. You can have my old room for now. I'll take the couch."

I was taken aback by the offer.

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose,"

He laughed, leading me down a short hallway.

"Don't be silly! We're the ones dragging you around." He stopped at the last door on the left. He wiggled the knob, and gestured for me to enter first.

The room was cleaner than I thought it would have been. The bed was unmade, and clothes still littered the ground in a pile in the corner. A desk had several sheets of paper.

Sora hurried in, kicking the clothes into the closet and throwing the pillows to be at the head of the bed. I smiled, watching him try and tidy it as quickly as possible.

"It's been a year since I've been in here, so I'm sorry for the mess. It's only for a few days, I promise."

I waved my hand.

"It's cleaner than my room," I lied.

Sora's grin returned.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe your world will be the first one!"

If only that could be true. I settled into the bed after Sora left. I buried my face in the pillow. Tears threatened my eyes, but I wasn't going to let them win. I had lost everything today, but there was hope I could get it back.

I watched the stars race by out the window until I fell asleep.

A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading. This is a bit of a side project, so I can't guarantee when chapters will be updated. Reviews are welcome! They make me write faster :P


	3. Hollow Bastion

I stirred from my sleep for what felt like the millionth time. My eyes stared at the ceiling. The clock to the right of me was displaying the time said it was far too early to be awake, but I dragged myself out of bed regardless. The floor was cold to my bare feet. I welcomed the feeling. I turned the door knob, wincing as the metal cried out. Sora was sleeping on the couch, and I did not want to wake him.

In the hallway, I made my way towards the tiny living area. The kitchen was my goal, and that would be the best place to start looking. In the dark, the furniture became black blobs. I slipped past the couch, eyeing the figure sprawled across the cushions. His arm hung over the edge, and his left foot hooked over the top. He was far too tall to be sleeping in such a way.

The first door I tried was a linen closet; the towels weren't folded. The second door was the kitchen. I slipped in and flicked on the light. Counters ran on either side; the stains telling stories of cooking attempts. The gap between them could fit another one of me. A small table sat at the end; four chairs surrounding it.

I started opening cupboards. My last meal felt as if it was days ago. I found some old chips, shrivelled fruit, and very spoiled milk. I wrinkled my nose, tossing them all in the trash can.

"This might work," i muttered to myself, finding sone dried herbs. I sniffed the leaves, identifying them as Dragon's Tongue. It was a bitter tasting plant, but worked wonders in potions for healing.

I dug out a pot and filled it full of water nearly to the top. I chopped the Dragon's Tongue with the only knife I could find; a very dull one at that. I dropped the flakes in the water. Locating some other herbs, I had enough to make a batch of very low-end potions. Several ingredients were missing, resulting in a weaker effect, but drinking it would fill my belly for the time being.

I stirred the concoction, waiting until it turned a translucent green. I snapped my fingers over the mixture, sparks swirling. The green grew brighter the more I added. I continued until it started to boil. I took it off the heat, and let it rest. The sparks would eventually cool and turn to crystal, giving it the opaque green potions had. Satisfied, I leaned against the counter.

"What's that smell?"

Sora opened the door, his fist rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He focused on the pot, then me.

"You have no food, so I made a potion instead. It will fill us until-"

"You _made_ a potion?" His interest in the pot became obvious. Leaning closer, he attempted to dip his finger in the solution. I slapped his hand.

"My country- world, is the leading exporters of potions, elixirs, and most magic items. I thought we were trading with other countries, not worlds."

Sora didn't seem tired in the slightest anymore.

"Can you make Hi-Potions? What about the ones that help with magic and healing?"

"Tents? They're easy enough, but I'll need ingredients-"

"This is great! We won't have to spend munney on potions anymore! When can I drink this?"

I sighed. The color was still the same. Drinking it now would have the same effects, but it would be both hot and the sparks would tingle.

"If you must," I gestured for him to help himself.

Sora dug out two glasses. I located a ladle, and started scooping the liquid into the glasses. Sora tried grabbing his.

"Wait," I took his glass and blew on it. The snow like patterns spread, turning the glass icy cold. The potion started to change opaque, the more it cooled.

I offered Sora the glass. His eyes were wide, but he took it.

"So you really don't need a wand or anything for magic?" He started drinking. Potions were usually bitter, but with the lack of ingredients the taste would just be bland.

"No," I sipped my own. "Is that strange?"

Sora shook his head.

"I think it's great! This one time, Donald's wand was broken. He was useless during battle! He was angry for days-"

"What are you saying, Sora?" I jumped at the sudden presence of the duck.

I tried not to laugh. Picturing him, full of pride, being reduced to nothing because of a broken wand. Perhaps that was why he had been eyeing me oddly since we met.

Sora poured another two glasses. He didn't offer them to me to cool, but handed one to Donald.

"Alice made us breakfast potions until we can gather supplies."

Donald eyed it, then looked at me. It was clear he didn't want to drink it. His trust for me was nonexistent. If the circumstances were switched, and a stranger made me a drink behind closed doors, I wouldn't want to drink it either.

"It's not poisoned," I mentioned, before sipping my own.

Donald snatched his, and the other for Goofy.

"We'll be landing soon, so get ready!"

My heart doubled in speed.

"Where?" I knew nothing of other worlds, but I wanted to see at least one before returning home.

"Hollow Bastion," Donald left.

I jumped out of the Gummi Ship. We landed on a nearby roof top, the brick flat. The buildings were clustered together.

"How do we get down?" I couldn't see any stairs.

"We jump!" I watched Sora, Donald and Goofy jump over the ledge. I ran up to it, but the height seemed taller than what would be deemed safe. The three landed without injury. Taking a deep breath, I stepped over the edge. The ground came up to meet me sooner than expected. I braced for impact. My knee scraped against the brick. I winced, knowing it would be bleeding.

"Are you alright?" Sora grabbed my hand and helped me up. I tested my weight on my leg, and it seemed fine. I offered him his usual thumbs up, forcing a smile.

Satisfied I was alright, we made our way to a large square surrounded by shops. One sold clothing and accessories, another sold potions. I eyed the one that sold swords, but my nose was drawn to a shop with wafting aromas.

"Say, what currency do you use?" I dug in my pockets, hoping to find the ring I had dropped in it the night before. It was white gold and amethyst. I was given it as a birthday present several years ago, and as much as I loved it, I needed some basic items. One day I would buy it back.

"Munney. What's that?"

I showed the ring to Sora.

"I'm not sure how much it's worth, but if we can buy some supplies, I'll sell it. How much do we have?"

Sora counted on his fingers.

"About one hundred,"

I smiled.

"Brilliant! We will have enough for all the supplies-"

"A low end potion costs twenty five munney."

My enthusiasm failed. I gave my ring a last look telling myself I would see it again someday.

We managed to get three thousand munney for my ring. Before we left, it was already in the shop window for twice as much. I hoped nobody would want to buy it, but for trading it in, I was able to by jars for potions, extra clothes for all of us, food, and several smaller items. We carried our haul to the ship, before adventuring farther into town.

Soldier like Heartless wandered the city. I count seven before we walked even a few metres. None attacked, but I was curious about the light pedestals that kept appearing. Glowing in a circle on the ground, it would grow to be as tall as I was, before falling to the brick.

"What are these things?" I jumped back from a nearby one.

"That's the town's defense mechanism," The girl's voice came from above us.

I jerked my head up. A girl older than us was perched on a roof. Her black hair was cropped short, a headband matching her shirt and shorts.

"Yuffie!" Sora called, waving.

Another one of his friends, I guessed.

Yuffie smiled back, but the happiness in her face faded. Her eyes darted towards the approaching figured behind us.

"Look out!"

Sora's Keyblade flashed into his hands faster than I could see. He spun and knocked the nearest Heartless back. The light pillar bolted up from under it, shooting it into the air. The Heartless dropped; I blasted it with lightning.

I turned at the strange noise behind me. A Nobody's arms snaked towards me. A spark from my hand turned into a fire ball. I shot it at the creature, letting the pillar finish it off. I managed to finish two more Heartless. I lost count how many Sora had killed.

I panted, reaching in my pocket for the tiny mouthful of potion I had left from the morning's batch. I swallowed it, and instantly my body felt lighter. My fatigue was washed away.

Yuffie jumped down.

"I see you're still in top form," she laughed.

"What'd you expect?" Sora spun his Keyblade before letting it disappear. "Looks like you're doing okay."

"Well, what did _you_ expect?" Yuffie turned to me. "I've never seen magic like that before. Comes in handy!"

"That it does," I agreed. "I'm Alice. I'm travelling with these three for the time being."

"Nice to meet you!"

Sora's smile faltered for a moment.

"Yuffie, have you seen the King and Riku?"

She shook her head. Sora's head dropped, but his hope returned in a moment. Yuffie started walking down the road, glancing back at us.

"But I had a feeling I'd see you guys again. Everybody's working on stuff over at Merlin's house. C'mon!"

The girl disappeared around the corner.

"You have friends everywhere, huh?"

Sora nodded.

"We all help each other out when the time comes. You'll love everyone."

I smiled, wondering if I could ever be like Sora. I only had one friend back home, and even now, I didn't know what happened to her. One day she just vanished. If I could meet her again I would be happy, but until then, making new friends didn't sound so awful.

Merlin's house was squeezed into a corner. We climbed the two steps, Sora in front. A man sat at the strange screen, hitting buttons as he went. A tall girl wearing pink and a man with a fluffy jacket collar watched. Yuffie spun, gesturing to the group.

"Meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!"

The girl in pink turned. She was very pretty, and with long brown hair in a braid. She gave off a mothering aura.

"We missed you!" She took Sora into a hug, looking him over to make sure he was alright. Her eyes glanced to me, the sparkle in her eyes shining.

"I'm Alice Févi ," I offered before she asked.

"Aerith. Cid," The man at the screen, "Leon," The man with the fluffy jacket, "And you've met Yuffie."

"She has!" Yuffie slapped me on the back. The action was something I was not used to. I was thrown off, but this was not my home. They had different customs than my own people.

"I knew it." Leon, now that I looked, had a large scar across his face. Red, it must have been deep at the time of injury. It didn't take away from his handsome features.

"Knew what?" Sora asked.

"A while back, everyone suddenly remembered you guys, all at the same time." Leon crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. He seemed like the cool type.

"You...remembered? Does that mean you forgot about them?" They seemed close for the group to be remembered.

"Thanks!" Donald stomped his foot.

"So where've you guys been all this time?" Yuffie tapped her chin. I was curious about that as well.

"We were sleeping'."

Goofy's answer was too vague for my curiosity. The way they talked, Sora, Donald and Goofy had been gone for quite a while. When we met, yes their clothes were oddly small, but sleeping wasn't an answer. I didn't press further.

The other looked puzzled as I was.

"So, um...we're trying to find Riku and the King. Have you seen 'em?" Sora's attempt to change the subject worked. Leon, Aerith, Cid and Yuffie all shook their heads in sync. I wished someone would let Sora have at least one lead about where his lost friend was.

"Right," Sora sighed.

Arith dropped her hand on Sora's shoulder.

"Sorry. But let us know if there's anything we can do to help. Okay?"

Sora flashed her a smile, letting her know everything would be alright.

"Okay. Thanks,"

Cid grunted, crossing his arms. He moved to get in Sora's face. My nose wrinkled. He stunk of smoke and alcohol.

"Don't go thankin' us just yet. Hollow Bastion's got a problem. A big problem,"

"Do you mean Nobodies? And Heartless?" I piped in. The number of them outside seemed ridiculous. Yen Sid's tower didn't seem to have this many.

"That's right!" Yuffie chimed.

"Sounds like you could use our help," Sora volunteered us.

"Then let's cut to the chase," Leon uncrossed his arms. "Sora, Donald, Goofy. We were hoping the three of you might give us a hand around here. Since you brought Alice, if you're up to it, you as well."

I didn't have much choice. I nodded, agreeing to the request.

"Like we're gonna say, no?" Sora snorted.

Leon gave a stiff nod. The others looked happy, but trying to get a read on his emotions were next to impossible.

"Follow me to the bailey-there's something you need to see."

Leon headed towards the door. I started to follow, but a puff of smoke stopped me. My palm grew hotter with readying myself for an attack.

A short man with a blue pointed hat and a beard that nearly touched the floor stumbled. He pushed up his round glasses, his eyes narrowing at the guests in his home. He shifted his weight to the long stick in his hand.

"Oh! I thought it was you. Right on time!"

The old man gave us a toothy grin. I was more interested in the transportation spell he just preformed. It was only something I could dream of with my current sill level. Only high-class magic users could accomplish it without killing themselves.

"It's Merlin!" Donald raised his wand in a salute.

"Sora and the gang said they're going to help out!" Yuffie dropped an arm over my shoulder. I flinched from the touch, but I couldn't get away with her weight leaning on my side.

"Splendid! We'll count on you! Ah, yes. Did you give them the cards, dear?"

Aerith let out a gentle gasp.

"Oh!"

She dug into her pocket and retrieved a stack of plastic cards. She gave one to each of us, including me to my surprise.

"Here...they're presents for you. Leon thought you might like to have

them. Yours doesn't have your name on it, Alice, since we didn't know you would be coming. I'm sorry,"

I shook my head.

"No need to apologize. You've showed us more than enough kindness."

Sora examined the card, flipping it in his hand. The bottom of his had his name sprawled across it.

"Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee Honorary Member!"

"Membership cards!" Donald sounded excited.

"Kind of cool, huh?" Goofy chimed.

Sora and Donald nodded eagerly. I couldn't help but laugh at their childish nature. It was sort of cool, being a member of a club like this.

"Hey, thanks, Leon-" Sora finally noticed Leon had left. "Oh no! We're supposed to be at the bailey!"

We turned to leave, but Merlin stopped us.

"Just a moment, Sora. What about your magic?"

I spun to face Sora. He could use magic? Since when? And why did he not tell me? Sora noticed my face, demanding answers. He scratched the back of his head, looking away.

"Huh? Oh, that's right..."

"Maybe you forgot it while you were asleep," I suggested sharply.

Merlin ignored my comment and dug through his blue outfit. He dug out a few sheets of paper and a small, glowing orb.

"Now, what am I to do with you? I suppose I'll have to lend you a few spells. But be careful with them!"

"Thanks, Merlin!" Sora pocketed the items and we headed for the door.

I waited until the door was shut.

"You can use _magic_?"

Sora glanced at me, looking away quickly.

"I was hoping you wouldn't have found out for a little while longer," He admitted.

"Why? I thought I was the only one! This is great-"

"I can't use magic like you,"

I stopped walking. Donald and Goofy were far ahead of us, out of reach of our conversation.

"Most magic users need some kind of…What's the word? Like an object to use magic through. Donald has his wand, I have my Keyblade, but you have-"

"Nothing." I cut in. "I see. My magic isn't normal."

I knew it wasn't normal from the day I met this strange group. I had hoped I could meet someone from my world, or at least someone who could use magic the same way as me. That wasn't going to happen.

Sora slapped my back. I stumbled forward.

"Cheer up! Your magic is great! There's no need to worry about anything,"

I gave him a fake smile.

"I suppose."

The path elevated into a ramp, leading to what looked like a tunnel. Made of brick, it acted as a lookout over Hollow Bastion. The sun was starting to drop, casting shadows over the country. I leaned against the open square that was a make-shift window.

"Look at that."

I jumped at the sound of Leon's voice. I didn't see him standing in the corner.

We directed our eyes down. What I mistook for shadows was actually a sea of Heartless. I leaned farther over, glimpsing their beasty yellow eyes. I let out a gasp. Fighting against that many would be the death of me.

"We want to restore Hollow Bastion to what it used to be. Who knows-maybe even something better. There's still a lot to do, but I'm sure we can handle everything. Except for that," He nodded towards the Heartless hoard below us, then the two Dusks walking in the direction of the castle in the distance.

"We'll handle 'em!" Sora once again volunteered us.

I shot him a look. I didn't want to battle an army that size.

"Well, that's good to hear. So Sora, do you know what's going on, then?"

Sora nodded.

"There's this guy, Pete, who's been going around plotting with the Heartless. But he's not smart enough to tie his own shoes. The ones we need to worry about are the Nobodies."

"And Organization XIII," I added. I had every intention of destroying them.

I let out a breath. The air seemed to grow chill. The others didn't seem to notice, but I could pick up the presence of magic any day.

"You called?" A male voice cooed.

I spun around, a spark flickering to life in my palm. Sora and Leon couldn't determine the source of the voice either.

"You're doing well,"

I bit my lip, my heart speeding up.

"Who's that!" Sora's Keyblade flashed to life in his hand. I took it as a queue, and the spark grew to a fireball.

"The girl is still alive? This calls for a celebration..."

Several Dusks stepped out of their own portals. I flinched back as more came to life, separating us. Sora dropped into a stance ready for fighting. Leon whipped a sword-like weapon off his back and readied himself. I stood closest to the path leading into town. I caught a glance at the gate; the only thing stopping the Dusks from invading.

I jumped and linked my fingers through the iron. The rough metal dug into my skin, scratching it. I bit my lip, using my weight to pull the gate down.

"Alice!" Sora cried.

I spun, a Dusk a foot away from me. Its limbs were long and sharp, its arm was posed ready to stab through me. I thrust my hand out, blasting it with fire. The creature fell backwards, and met its end. Two more stood in its place. The one on the right fell forward, its face slamming into the ground. Leon's weapon was pointed at it. I gave him a nod, and set the one on the left on fire.

A bigger Nobody stumbled forward. I threw a fireball at it, but the magic just bounced off and wisped out of existence. I swallowed, trying to use ice. Same thing. With the roof over head, lightning wouldn't work. I could try, but I ran the risk of killing everyone if I missed. What else could I do? My water spells never worked.

The Nobody charged forward. It stood a foot and a half taller than me. I couldn't see its eyes; they were hidden behind a helmet. My eyes dropped to the small gap between the helmet and the amour on its body. I would have to aim for that.

I ran at the Nobody, a fireball in my hand. It raised its arm to hit me, but I was slightly faster. I jumped, slamming my hand against the Nobody's face. The fire spread under the armor. I fell to my knees, re-scratching my injured knee.

The Nobody fell backwards onto its back, and died.

I panted, relieved Leon finished off the last one.

"Ugh," I groaned. My new clothes were now dirty.

Sora offered me a hand, hauling me up. My legs shook from adrenaline. I gave him a shaky smile.

"Good thinking with the gate,"

I nodded.

Leon hauled the gate up with ease. We walked under it. Once out, Leon latched it into place.

"The Keyblade...a truly marvelous weapon. Were it only in more...capable hands..." The same voice as before dripped in mocking.

Several voices laughed.

We spun around, but there was nobody.

"Show yourselves!" I demanded.

A figure garbed in a black cloak wisped into existence.

My heart raced. I recognized the cloak anywhere. The lone Nobody raised its arms. Five other figures, all matching the first, appeared behind him. Some tall, some short, I didn't care. I would kill them all for what they did to Faerydae.

"Organization XIII," I hissed.

"Good! Now we can settle this!" Sora dropped into a fighting stance, his usual smile long gone. It was replaced with a hard line of determination.

"What a shame," The man in the center said. "And here I thought we could be friends."

Just as fast as they appeared, the group vanished with a final laugh. My fingernails dug into my palm, cutting my flesh. I ignored the pain.

"Stop!" Donald called, running forward. His aim seemed to be the set of stair that led to where the group had been.

An Organization XIII member stepped out of a portal to stand in front of Donald.

"What's the big idea!?" Cried the duck.

I tried to slow my breathing. It was growing faster, and with each breath, sparks were starting to fly around my hands. If I couldn't calm myself, they would grow to be blazes.

"Oopsy-daisy!"

My eyes searched the hooded figure, looking for anything I recognized. His voice was different from the one that attacked my home. That didn't change anything, though.

"Move, or I will kill you where you stand." I relaxed my fingers a little. The sparks still grew. If I could get to the rest of their group and find the culprit, even just a name, it would mean everything.

"Now, do you think that's polite, shutting me down like that? I thought you would have better manners, princess." His smug voice gave the impression he was laughing under the hood. My sparks faltered at the nickname princess.

"Get outta the way!" Sora seemed just as mad as I was. He pointed the Keyblade to the man's chest, threatening him. The man shrugged, letting his arms dangle to his side.

"As if! Why don't I remind you how tough the crowd you're dealing with really is?"

Sora lowered the Keyblade a little.

"Remind me?" Shaking off his confusion, he returned to his stance, the anger evident on his face. His blue eyes seemed to glow.

The cloaked man laughed once again. He was acting too relaxed.

"That's right, _he_ used to give me that same exact look. Be a good boy now!"

"Wait!" I lunged at the man as the portal grew. My sparks weren't huge, but I still cast them towards him. He disappeared a moment before they could make contact. My sparks crashed into the wall behind where he had been, fizzing out of existence.

I dug my foot into the ground, angry.

"That was weird." Sora shook his head. "Who gave him the same look?"

Goofy rubbed his chin.

"Y'know, I think he was just tryin' to confuse ya."

Sora's smile returned.

"Yeah, you're right. Only one me!" He gave me a thumbs up. I tried to push my lips into a grin, but the thought of being so close to Organization XIII and unable to do anything bothered me.

Sora reached into one of his many pockets.

"Thank goodness! I thought it might have slipped out during the fighting. The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee Honorary Member-"

I gasped.

The card started to glow. Sora let go of it, and it began to float in the air. The Keyblade started glowing in return.

"Magic?" I asked. I had never seen anything like it before.

The card glowed brighter. Surrounding the card grew to be what looked like a keyhole.

"Gawrsh, ya think...?"

I nodded, agreeing with Goofy's thoughts. It must have been one of the keyholes Yen Sid mentioned.

Sora pointed the Keyblade at the hole. A loud click echoed over us. The card lost its shine, and felt to the ground like nothing happened.

"Oh boy!" Donald quacked happily, already trying to run towards the ship.

"Sorry to run, Leon, but other worlds are calling." Sora gave him a salute, and pocketed his membership card. Leon nodded, glancing at the space Organization XIII stood.

"Organization XIII... They look tough. Be careful out there."

Sora, Donald and Goofy started running for the ship. I turned back to Leon before joining them.

"Thank for everything."

His nod was his way of sending us off.

"Ahh…" Sora dropped on the couch. "I'm exhausted."

I nodded, agreeing.

Donald and Goofy returned to the front of the ship to pilot. I hoped it would be days before we reached the next world. I wanted to rest and take a long, hot bath.

"Hey, what's that? Weeds?" Sora glanced at the handful of herbs in my hand.

"I found them growing between two bricks. Sikilen! Can you believe it?"

Sora's eye brows bunched together. He clearly didn't understand why I was so happy with some weeds I found.

"These are important for making Tents and Elixirs. I thought I could dry half, and plant the other. I still don't have enough to make either items, but-"

"You know what all the plants look like?" He interrupted.

"Yes, and, if I can find more in our travels, I will be able to make just about anything."

Sora seemed happy enough with that. He dropped his head on a pillow, and was asleep in seconds. I made my way to the bathroom, and ran a bath. I dumped in a few drops of bubble bath, savoring the smell.

All this fighting left me filthy.

I sunk into the hot water, letting it relax my aching legs.


	4. Land of the Dragons PT 1

A/N: I cut this chapter into two parts, since it was getting a little long. What would you guys prefer? Two part world chapters, or one really long one? Reviews always welcome.

Two days after leaving Hollow Bastion, the Gummi Ship dropped to the ground. I stood at the door, eager to get outside. I emptied my pockets and lined then with plastic wrap, hoping to find more plants I could use. Sora had said our next world was Land of the Dragons. Dragons meant dragon scales. Dragon scales meant I could finally make potions to boost my magic.

I bounced on my heels, biting my lip.

"You seem happy," Sora smiled.

I froze, realizing I had let my guard down.

"W-Well, yes, I am excited to see dragons."

Sora snorted, pushing the latch of the door open.

"I'm sure you'll be a little disappointed."

My nose wrinkled.

Hot, humid air blasted into the open door. The air smelt of greens, but with the sweat that was already clinging to my skin. Tall green poles hid our ship way. I stepped down and onto the ground, my shoes kicking up dust. I examined the poles. Smooth, green leaves sprouted from the sides every so often.

"These are plants?" I questioned. There was hardly a plant I didn't know about, but this was the most strange.

Sora gave me a nod; Donald and Goofy already following the trail. We jogged to catch up. I looked around, trying to find the tops of the plants. I would have to take a sprout, and see if I could use it for anything. Inventing a new potion before I got home would be a dream come true. Father would-

The three stopped.

"What-"

I heard the voice. The words were mumbled, but the shadow figure ahead, twice as tall as we were, made my face pale.

"A Heartless?" I breathed, afraid my voice would give away our location.

"Let's get the jump on 'im!" Sora and Donald ran ahead, weapons raised. I didn't follow.

"Gawrsh, maybe we better look before we leap," I looked to Goofy, agreeing.

A yell made me run towards the direction of Sora and Donald. A girl in armour stumbled backwards, a red lizard jumping into her arms. Sora still has his Keyblade raised, but everyone was confused.

"Is that Mushu?" Goofy broke the silence.

The lizard in the girl's arms stood up. I squinted my eyes. It was long with big eyes.

"That's right, I know you heard of me! I'm little, lethal, and legendary! Now y'all scram before I get my dragon dander up!"

Dragon? Strange. I just thought I heard the small lizard claim he was, in fact, one of the mightiest beasts to roam among us. It continued to wave his fist at us.

Sora let his Keyblade disappear. Donald lowered his wand, letting out a squawk.

"Hey, Mushu! We missed you!" Sora smiled, while the lizard fled from the girls arms.

"Yeah, well you better hope I miss you, or else you're-you're...Sora!Donald! Goofy!" He looked at me. "I don't know you."

I rubbed my forehead, mirroring the confusion of the girl.

"Do you know them?" She asked.

"Know them? Man, we used to kick all kinds of bad guy butt together! Yeah, you know, I helped these guys out of a lot of tight spots. 'Cause I'm a mighty dragon! Right?"

I let a giggle slip.

The "dragon" looked at me, frowning. I couldn't help but laugh more.

Sora scratched the back of his head, letting Mushu have his moment. Trying to imagine this tiny lizard fight anyone but dust bunnies was hard.

"Something like that. And...you are?"

The girl bit her lip.

"I'm Mulan. Um, no, I-I mean..." She coughed, giving off a manly sound.

"Ping!" Mushu called.

"Mulan Ping?" Donald said.

"Just...Ping." Her voice was deeper. "I am Ping, son of Fa Zhou."

I shook my head. It was none of my business to know why she was disguised as a boy.

"You know Mushu?" Sora seemed happy.

Ping nodded, gesturing to the lizard.

"Mushu's one of my family's guardians."

I held back another laugh.

"We didn't know we were borrowin' somebody as important as a family guardian," Goofy rubbed his chin.

"Yeah, that's right!" The lizard pointed a finger at us. "And that puts you three up to your eyeballs in debt to Ping here." Ping smiled awkwardly, uncomfortable with the whole situation. "Well, guess what, kiddies? It's payback time!"

"Mushu..." Ping scooped up the lizards, placing him on her shoulder.

"Ah, they don't mind. Ain't that right?"

I did mind, but didn't protest my feelings.

"Hmm, sounds fair," Sora looked to us, already making up his mind.

"What is it you want us to do?" If I was getting involved once again, I needed to know what was going on.

"See, Ping here was just on his way to join the Imperial army. We gotta go find the other recruits over at the training camp."

Army? I did not sign up for war.

"Would you join us? It'll be easier to fit in if I'm with guys, like you." Ping looked to me. "I'm sorry, what was your name?"

I blinked, realizing that I had not introduced myself yet.

"My apologies. I'm Alice Févi ."

"Hey," Sora interrupted. "What did you mean, "fit in"?"

"Well, um, uh, don't-don't worry about that." Mushu tried to cover.

I groaned.

"Ping is pretending to be a boy."

Sora and Donald jumped in surprise, letting out a gasp. Goofy must have noticed a while ago.

"You're a...girl?" Sora looked her over, and I wondered how something so obvious cold have been overlooked.

"You didn't notice?" Ping seemed pleased with herself, but fooling those two was no feat.

"Not me," Sora admitted.

Ping whispered to Mushu.

"I think it's working,"

"For them," I rolled my eyes.

"Hey!" Donald stomped his feet.

"Well," I gestured to the pathway. "Shall we?"

Mushu and Ping looked at each other.

"You're a girl," Mushu stated.

My eyes narrowed.

"Thank you for noticing."

Ping shook her head.

"What he means is, no women are allowed in the army. That's why I'm dressed as a boy,"

I wasn't expecting that. Faerydae didn't discriminate because of gender. I could dress or say whatever I pleased.

"What are we going to do then? I could just stay behind-"

"No, you're not! We'll just have to disguise you too!" Sora shrugged off his jacket, dropping it in my arms.

"Sora, this isn't-"

"Wait! I have an idea! Sit down!" Donald gestured towards the ground, and I had a bad feeling about it. Still, I did. The duck searched one of Sora's pockets, finding what he was looking for. A marker.

"I'll fix her hair," Ping offered.

Donald inched forward with the marker, the tip nicking the corner of my mouth. I frowned, promising I would return whatever he did to my face. Ping swept my hair up, pulling and twisting it into a tight bun. My bangs still fell loose, too short to be included. Donald's marker drew over the bottom of my face, and I realized he must have been drawing facial hair.

"You look great, Alice! Or, should we call Al?" Sora snorted.

I stood, brushing the two off me.

"You really think this will work?" I doubted I looked like a boy at all. Pushing off my knee, I stood.

Ping and Sora looked me over. Ping looked doubtful, but Sora seemed confident in the work that had been done to my face.

"I think you'll have to be careful," Ping admitted.

I shook my head, zipping up Sora's jacket to hide my chest. The two bumps were nothing to brag about, and the thick fabric hid them easy. But what of the rest of me? My limbs would seem too slender for a boy's.

"Well, might as well give it a shot." I suggested. I was confident I could use my magic fast enough to escape if I really had to.

We followed the dirt path. It was well packed from being walked on. The tall plants started to grow shorter, a opening revealing the camp that rested at the bottom of the hill. Tents lined up in rows; campfire smoke rising. I swallowed my fear and pushed my shoulders back. Confidence was key to this.

Mushu climbed on my shoulder.

"What is wrong with you two? Alice here looks like she could walk with a tower of books on her head, and you," He looked to Ping. "look like you have a secret to hide! Remember, girls, manly!" I narrowed my eyes. It was easier said than done.

Ping straightened up and tucked her legs together. She strut into the camp, right behind us. I tried to forget my narrow hips, and tried to walk at a wider pace. A few eyes lingered on the strangers waltzing through the gate, but nobody said anything.

A group of men were forming a line. At the beginning there were two pots; one seemed soupy, and the other was clumps of white. Sora didn't hesitate; he joined the back of the line.

"Is this a good idea?" I hissed.

"It's fine," He shrugged. "I'm starving anyway."

My stomach growled too, but my first thought wouldn't be to take a ration that wasn't mine. A short, plump man with a black eye stomped towards us. The scowl on his face was fierce. I retreated my gaze, fearing he would be the type to say something. Instead, he shoved into line before Sora. Sora stumbled back into me.

"About time we got some grub," The man grumbled.

Sora balled his fist. I pulled on his shoulder, stopping him from starting a fight.

"Hey, no cutting!"

The man turned, his face growing redder the farther his eyebrows dipped down.

Donald pushed past us.

"Get out!"

I bit my lip. The man raised his own fist, and swung it towards Sora. It collided with his jaw, throwing him backwards to the ground. I managed to grab his arm, but Sora's weight dragged me down with him. Donald leapt at the man, and started throwing his own punches. I felt like the duck must have had some rage he needed to let loose, but was a man cutting in line really enough to set him off?

"Back off!" The man managed to throw Donald off for a moment, only to have him return.

"Uh-oh," I groaned.

"Hey, a space in line!" A tall, skinny man cut in front of the fight, his rather large friend following. They must have been blind if they took no notice of the fight. Or it was a daily occurrence.

"I wonder what they're serving for lunch today," The larger man seemed rather cheerful.

The first man managed to get Donald off him long enough he could properly stand.

"Knuckle sandwiches!" He turned his attention to the tall, skinny man and threw a punch at him. The two started fighting, and Donald ran back in.

"That does it!" Sora ran to join his friend, leaving me, Goofy and the large man to watch, confused.

I could cast a few spells to distract them long enough, but was magic freely used here? Sora mentioned after Hollow Bastion I should think before I resort to magic but things were starting to get out of control. On lookers were inching forward, wanting to get involved in the fight. Sora seemed to be holding his own, but even from here his black eye was starting to be visible.

The space between us and the fight would have to be enough. I raised my hand-

"Please!" Cried Ping, forgetting her manly voice.

The group stopped, and looking at Ping. I lowered my hand, not wanting to bring more attention to myself.

" _Please_!" The tall skinny man scoffed, dropping Donald.

"What a girl!" The first man rolled his eyes.

What was wrong with being a girl? A group of girls would not have started a fight because of a mere line-cutter.

"Uh...knock it off!" Ping corrected herself, trying to fit in.

"Knock what off?" The man turned and retook his place in line.

"You punched him," I glanced at Sora. He had a dorky grin of his face, and his skin was bruised, but he seemed like he had fun.

"Cutting in line!" Donald raised his fist, and I prayed there wouldn't be another fight. At this rate, be would be kicked out before we even officially joined the army.

"L-let's just get back in line, okay?" Ping gestured to the line, and I took my own place, crossing my arms.

"Whose side are you on? I just got slugged!"

I sighed.

"You're all children-"

"Soldiers! Get back in line!"

A taller, broad man with shiny armour and a red cape frowned at our group. He was rather handsome.

"The Captain, Li Shang!" The tall, skinny man scrambled to get in a proper line, the rest of us following. The Captain walked the line, looking each of us over. My heart raced the moment he reached me. I lowered my eyes, but kept standing straight. He stopped at me, but continued on. I let out a sigh of relief. Sora was eyeing the man who punched him; shaking a fist out of sight of the Captain.

I looked towards the Captain's back and he eyed some other strangers. I caught a glimpse of yellow on the ground. I squinted.

"Sora," I tugged at his sleeve.

"Shh! You'll get us into trouble-"

"What are they?" Ping pointed at the black creatures forming from the ground's shadows. Maybe a dozen, the Heartless stood, growing in height until they were fully formed.

"Heartless!" The Keyblade was in his hand in a second.

The Captain turned, annoyed at our talking, until he saw the black creatures on the ground. He seemed confused, but Sora wasn't waiting for orders. He charged forward, swinging the Keyblade at two. It sliced through both with ease.

I was a little more torn. Ping rushed forward with a sword, stabbing and swinging relentlessly, not hitting a single one. I wanted to fight too. Donald thrust his wand in the air. A small fireball killed a Heartless. That was enough for me.

My palms sparked with electricity. The camp was open enough I wouldn't have to risk all of our lived for one spell. I raised my hands, casting lightning down. Three Heartless were in the way. I ran forward towards Sora. Five surrounded him. I lit one on fire, and cast lightning down once again for another. Sora killed the other three.

I panted, my heart racing. It scared me how much I was starting to enjoy fighting. We finished off the rest with ease.

The soldiers watching seemed to have their mouths open in shock. Sora scratched the back of his head; I looked everywhere but at the captain. So much for not drawing attention to ourselves.

"You four. What are your names?" The Captain demanded.

"I'm Sora. This is Donald, Goofy, and Al."

Shang nodded his head, seeming pleased with us. I still couldn't believe he was buying my act of being a man.

"You're welcome in my troop. Your battle skills are encouraging." Shang turned to leave.

Ping rushed to stand in front of him.

"I am the son of Fa Zhou-"

"You should return home." He interrupted.

I frowned. Ping was far from battle ready, but I too was new to this as well. In the small handful of fights, I was slowly learning how to read the enemy. Ping would be able to do the same with practise.

"B-but... That would dishonor my family!"

"You'd rather dishonor my troops?"

Ping wasn't having any of it. She was determined to stay.

"Don't make me-!"

"If Ping trains hard and does his best, he'll get stronger in no time." I pitched in, trying to sway his mind. It didn't seem to be working.

"Just give us an assignment! We'll show you how well we can work together," Sora gestured to all of us. I didn't want to be put on missions in a war I knew nothing about.

"So...you want to be tested? Our orders are to ambush Shan-Yu's army on their way here. They should be coming through the mountain pass."

"We'll smash them!" Donald quacked.

If Shang or Donald though we were strong enough to take on an entire army by ourselves, they were idiots.

"I doubt that," I let out a sigh of relief at the rejection. "You five will be the advance party. Scout out the mountain for my troops, and make sure it's clear and safe."

"That's it?" Sora actually seemed to be a little disappointed. "No problem. Right?"

"R-right." Ping wasn't so sure. She gripped the hilt of her sword, lowering her gaze. This was her only chance to prove herself.

"I'll brief you on the details later. Remember, the smallest mission may have the greatest purpose. Rest up; you have a share of dinner and supplies waiting for you. Tomorrow at dawn the mission will begin."

"Sir!"

I followed Sora's awkward salute until the Captain left. I dropped my arm, glaring at Sora.

"How dare you volunteer us for a mission! In case you haven't noticed, we aren't soldiers!"

Sora took his place in line, putting his hands behind his head.

"You worry too much. This'll be fun,"

Reaching the front, we were handed a bowl of the white stuff. The soupy stuff, now that I could see pieces of meat and vegetables, was poured on top.

In my free arm, I was given a sword, blanket, and what looked like a makeshift pillow.

"Find a tent. You can fit three in each one. Next."

I nodded, moving out of the way.

"I supposed Ping and I will share one, and you three can have one to share."

Sora was already trying to eat without utensils. He too had a blanket and pillow, but a sword was as useless to me as it was to him.

I rolled my eyes, not bothering to tell him to wait.

Ping and I found two empty tents beside each other. The worn red fabric wouldn't keep the rain out, and looked like a strong breeze would wisp it away.

We dropped our things and sat outside the tents, food bowls in hand. Ping handed me two sticks.

"What are these?" I asked, examining the smooth wood.

"Chopsticks. Have you never used them before?"

"No," I admitted.

Ping tried to show me, but after ten minutes of failing, she went back to eating her meal, leaving me to struggle. Sora was finished his in a few moments.

I found myself staring at his bruised eye. The damage wouldn't be permanent, but if I could find some herbs, I could make the color fade faster.

Finished with my meal, I stood and stretched.

"I'm going to go explore the area. I need to find some herbs,"

Sora nodded, his attention directed towards the card game going on a few tents down. The crowd was getting bigger, and I wanted to be away from it.

"I'll join you," Ping offered.

I gave her a smile, and we snuck off.

I pulled at a purple plant, making sure not to damage the leaves. It had a habit of releasing a terrible odor if handled the wrong way, but in teas it was delicious. I found it strange other worlds seemed to share the same plants. I had handfuls of leafy greens, all for different purposes. Ping took an interest in what I was doing, but had no talent for telling each plant apart.

The woods around us were blooming with life. Green trees stretched towards the sky, while the ground floor was covered in white flowers. I would have loved to make a flower crown like the ones my father used to make, but as a boy, I could not. I was already tired of hiding my identity.

A bird flew over my head, landing a few meters away. It pecked at the ground, and I saw why.

"Care for a break?"

"Of course!"

I followed the bird's path until I stood at the tiny pond it drank from. The water was crystal clear; the stone bottom perfect for what I had in mind. I leaned over, pressing my palms against the water. Steam started to form; the water swirled to be murky from the heat.

This far out in the woods, there would be nobody from the camp around.

"That was amazing! How do you do it? Even back at the camp there was lightning."

I stripped off Sora's jacket, placing the plants on top of it.

"Magic," I didn't think lying to her would do any good. "Where I'm from everybody can do it." I took off my clothes one piece at a time, folding them neatly on the shore. Ping followed my actions.

"I wish I could do that. At least then I'd have a better chance of staying…"

I grabbed the purple plants, and stepped into to the hot water until it was up to my waist. I sat, breaking the leaves underwater. Hot water acted as a neutralizer for the smelly plant; it would make the water smell fresh and flowery.

Ping slipped into the water, right behind me. The hot water relaxed my sore arms.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you here in the first place?"

Ping let her hair down. It fell to her shoulders; the silky black strands made me envious.

"My father. He is getting older, and can't walk properly. Soldiers came to my village, and demanded all men go to war, including him."

"So you took his place?"

"Ping nodded.

I would have done the same.

Ping splashed some water at me; the color was a slight shade of purple.

"Enough gloomy talk! Why are _you_ here?"

I returned the splash, smiling.

"Sora saved me, and I'm travelling with them until I find my home."

Ping leaned back, giving her hair a quick wash. I felt like doing the same. Just because I had to act like a man didn't mean I had to smell like one. I combed my wet fingers through it.

"He seems nice,"

"He is," I twirled the ends of my hair in the water. "A little bit childish sometimes, but he has a good heart."

Ping stopped, a grin stretching across her face.

"Do you like him?"

I too stopped.

"Well, yes-" I understood what she meant. "No! Not like that, anyway,"

"Are you sure? He's the reason you're our here picking plants."

I would have been out here regardless of Sora's black eye or not. The local plants were all things I could use. I had potions to make, and items to invent with them.

"What about you and _Captain Shang_ ," I faked a dreamy eyed gesture. "I saw you staring at him."

Ping's cheeks grew red.

"Because I was mad at him!"

"Of course," I teased, glad she was distracted from her questioning me.

We dressed and left as the water started to grow cold. I picked some more plants on the way back, and found a round rock that I could use to grind herbs while we were here. Walking back to our tents, there was a rather large crowd. Sora sat in the middle of it, two cards in his hand.

The man who had punched him sat across the table, his face red. He had about a dozen cards.

"Just give up, Yao." Sora dropped a card on the already large pile in the middle.

I never played card games, so what they were playing was lost to me. Sora seemed to be wining though, with one card left.

"I ain't done yet," Yao dropped two on the pile.

Sora smirked, drawing one card, looking at both, then dropped them into the middle. He grabbed a rather large bag that jingled.

"I believe this is mine,"

Yao flipped the table, yelling profanities. I grabbed Sora's arm and pulled him through the crown, pushing him into the tent. The crowd was cheering, the next game already started.

"You're going to get yourself killed."

I pointed for Sora to sit, and he did. I fetched the bowl I used for dinner, now washed, and dumped the plants in. I used my rock to break the leaves and grind them.

"Nah. Yao, Chien-Po and Ling are actually good guys once you get to know them."

"Who are they?"

"Yao punched me, Chien-Po is the big guy, and Ling is the tall one."

"Ah."

I continued mashing until the leaves were a thick paste. I held my hand over the bowl, warming it. Sora watched.

"We're pretty lucky we picked you up,"

I gave him a glance.

"Don't you mean, 'We're pretty lucky that Heartless _swallowed_ you up'?" I dropped in front of him, scooping a small amount with my finger. Sora closed his eyes, and let me spread it. His skin was a dark shade of purple, and if I didn't get rid of the swelling, he wouldn't be able to see out of his left eye until it healed.

"You smell nice,"

My cheeks grew red, but I kept working. If I stopped, Sora would see my face.

"Ping and I found a pond in the woods. We took a break in it,"

I wiped my finger off on a cloth, all of Sora's bruises covered. He dropped onto his back.

"It's warm. Feels nice,"

"Don't fall asleep with it on. Wipe it off after half an hour, and the swelling should be gone in about an hour or two."

He just nodded.

I returned to my own tent. The sky was growing dark; the stars twinkled in the night sky. A bright moon illuminated outside the camp. Ping looked torn. Her eyes moved back and forth between the armour she had been wearing, and the bed.

"Do you think it's safe to sleep like this?" She gestured to her underclothes, that clearly showed she was a woman. I took off Sora's jacket, and half my own clothes, and crawled under my thin blanket.

"I honestly have no idea. This whole thing is ridiculous anyway. Yes, I'm a woman, but I feel like that shouldn't matter."

Ping decided to sleep as she was.

"That's just how things are."

"Things should change."

Morning came far too early. The tent let all the sunlight filter in, waking me. I woke Ping, we both dressed, and went to go find breakfast. The men were giving me funny looks up until I went back inside our tent.

"Is something wrong?"

Ping handed me a cloth.

"Your, erm, facial hair is smudged."

I let out a sigh, and with Ping's help, removed all of the marker off my skin. If I was banished, at least I had more ingredients to work on back at the ship.

"Knock, knock!" Sora poked his head in, his own bowl of food in his hand. He took a seat beside me.

"You fell asleep with it on, didn't you?" I eyed the slight green tint his skin had.

"How could I not? It was relaxing,"

I shook my head. I made tea with the rest of the purple plants, and we all enjoyed a cup, until it was time to go.

Shang's tent was the biggest, and the nicest by far. Four times the size of ours, the fabric wasn't worn, but new. A table in the center had maps, and against the wall was a very comfy looking bed with furs. What I would have given to sleep on it. The ground left my back and legs sore.

Shang narrowed his eyes at my face, and lack of drawn on hair, but seemed to take more interest in Sora's now green eye.

"Your mission is to secure the path over the summit so our company can pass. I've authorized you to be let through to the summit. You're to kill anyone and anything that is not our own. Don't let me down!"

We were shown a map of where we were going to meet. The path way long, and with the forest patch as well as the open mountain, we were sure to run into creatures. I stretched, readily myself for the fights to come.

A small fence acted as a barrier between the camp, and the world outside of it. The grass was longer from lack of people, and the creak that flowed was clear. Tiny fish swam down it as we crossed a makeshift bridge.

"Your home is very beautiful, Ping."

She nodded, clutching her sword. I had left my own back at camp. I would have injured myself trying to use it.

"Are you alright?" Sora asked.

Ping nodded once more, not saying anything. Her legs were shaking and she wouldn't look up.

"It's okay to be scared. Heartless are-"

"Here!" I called.

Several morphed out of the ground, only these ones were different. Bright red, they had long claws and funny hats. It didn't take them long to strike.

Sora leapt, stabbing one in the chest before Ping could even register that we were attacking. I stayed back with her, hoping to offer some back up if necessary. She threw the sword around, the Heartless dodging with ease. They seemed amused by her fail attempts.

"Watch it!" One came too close. It raised its arms to attack, long claws ready. Ping was scared stiff. I pushed her shoulder, and thanks to the bulky, heavy armour she wore, she fell over. I turned to cast a spell to stop the Heartless, but it was too late. Two of the four claws caught my arm.

I cried out, falling to the ground. The cuts were deep and bleeding. Sora must have heard my cries. He rushed over, and killed the Heartless before it could turn. He grabbed my arm, and despite my protests, looked it over.

"Those Heartless have poison in their claws, we have to hurry-"

I was already starting to feel the effects of it. My head felt light; my heart was slowing. I had a very great urge to sleep. Sora shook my shoulders, trying to keep my eyes open.

"This is all my fault!" I heard Ping yell.

Sora grabbed the back of my head, holding it up. I tasted the familiar potions I had made before we landed. The feeling to fall asleep started to fade, and my arm stopped throbbing. I blinked, the cloud over my mind disappearing.

I looked over my arm, the claw marks still red, but the wound was closing.

"Alice! I'm so sorry!"

I shook my head. I offered Sora my hand to help me up, but instead he wrapped an arm around my waist and hauled me up. My legs shook a little, but on the ground I could see why. A red puddle sat where I had been lying. The potion had helped, but recovering fully would require a day or two.

"I'm fine," I said, noticing Sora still hand his arm around my waist. I gently pushed him away, offering a smile. "Let's keep moving."

The group hesitated, but we kept walking. I did my best to seem alright, but I was still a little dizzy. I had my own potions, but unsure of what lay ahead made me weary of using any more.

We ran into more Heartless the farther we travelled. Both Ping and Sora stuck to my side. I casted lightning and fire, killing a few with the far range. When the last one was dead, I shivered.

"Is it rather cold?"

Ping pointed down the path.

"Snow will start to form soon. Can your magic keep you warm?"

I tested pressing my palms to my face, like I did the water. I shivered with warmth.

"We'll buy warmer clothes when we reach the village." Sora led the way.

I had never seen snow before. It was cold, but turned wet when you held it. I found when you grabbed a pile, it could be packed and formed into a ball. I threw it at Sora. The snowball hit his left shoulder, breaking on contact. He turned, grinning. He scooped up his own snowball, and threw it back. I tried to dodge, but it still hit me on my hip. I returned another, forgetting about how cold I was.

We reached a narrow path, ending our fight. I could see smoke and smell something that had been grilled. Rice for breakfast didn't quite fill me.

The village was small; maybe three dozen houses crowded the flat area. People hurried about doing mundane things. They took notice of us, but said nothing. I dug in my pockets for the coins we had been collecting. I found what seemed to be a restaurant, and the source of the meat smell.

"I'm not hungry; I will look around." Ping left.

"Me too," Donald said. "Maybe I can find some supplies here…"

"Gawrsh, wait up, Donald!"

"I guess it's just us," Sora shrugged.

Walking inside there were only three tables.

"Welcome, welcome-Oh! Soldiers! Come, sit!" We took a seat, and the older man placed plates, chopsticks, and two bowls of rice in front of us. He left, returning with grilled meat, covered in a caramel colored sauce. My mouth watered. I, although it was rude, had resorted to stabbing my food with the chopsticks.

"Here," Sora reached across the table. He placed his hands over mind, trying to position them right. "Move your finger," I did, and to my surprise, I could open and close them.

I tried picking up some meat, with success.

"Thank you," I said after swallowing.

He shrugged.

"If I need lessons on table manners, I'll ask you as a favor."

I giggled.

"I'm sure you'll never have a need to learn the uses of having three forks, three knives, two spoons and several other things that could be replaced by chopsticks."

He laughed, and we continued eating.

Halfway through our meal, we heard someone yell outside.

"Captain Li Shang!"

We threw coins on the table and dashed outside. Ping, Donald and Goofy were already there. Shang led the way, followed by many soldiers. The villagers made way, standing to the side in awe.

Shang nodded to us, and we saluted.

"Sir!"

"Good work, soldiers. Not a single threat on the way." His eyes dropped to my arm. "Soldier Al. What happened?"

I froze. I couldn't tell him because of Ping I nearly lost an arm and possibly could have died to poison.

"Erm, a Heartless, Sir. Ping saved me."

Shang looked to Ping, clearly not buying the lie.

"Did he?"

"Ping sure did great!" Goofy added. "He was like a one man army,"

I looked to Goofy. One-man army was a little much.

"Hmm...Fine. I'll let you join my troops... But I'm still not convinced you have what it takes to be a worthy soldier. At ease."

Shang and his group continued forward, heading towards the summit. Our orders were to head back to camp, as were outlined before we departed.

Sora shook his head, wanting to go after Shang.

"It's all right, Sora. I'll find a way to show him what I'm made of,"

I nodded.

"He doesn't seem easy to please."

We shared a laugh, and agreed it was time to head back to camp. I was growing tired, and I hoped there would be no more fights on the way back.

Mushu poked his head out of Ping's armour, crawling to the ground to stop us. I looked around, and nobody had spotted him.

"Okay, girl! Here's your chance! I just saw this real shady guy. And I know it's Shan-Yu."

Ping scooped up the dragon.

"Shan-Yu!? That's the Hun leader! We've got to tell the Captain!"

I was already turned and ready to run towards where Shang had left.

"Wait, wait-wait-wait WAIT! Everybody use their heads a sec. Now, why are we here? To make the Captain see Mulan's, I mean, Ping's talents and bring honor to her family. Right?"

We nodded, but I wasn't liking where this was going.

"So, let's go find out where Shan-Yu is, by ourselves. Then, if we're lucky, we can fry him up good! Though just tracking the guy down should earn us our stars... Captain Musclehead will have to notice my girl!"

"Are you insane? We can't just-"

"Okay. Let's go," Ping unsheathed her sword.

"We'll help out." Sora volunteered us once again.

I just groaned, knowing there would be no way out of this mess.

"Now we're cooking'! Shan-Yu is in a cave outside the village!"

Following Mushu's directions, we found a small cave on the outskirts of the village. Half covered in snow, it would be hard to spot unless you knew of it. We readied ourselves, and ventured in. Finding it too dark, I raised my good arm above my head and formed a fireball. Light sent shadows in every direction, but at least we could see where we were going. The walls opened up to a large room. A small shrine sat in the wall. The villagers must come here often.

"Dead end," I muttered, eyeing the lizard.

We looked around, but nothing so much as moved.

"There's nobody here..." Donald groaned.

"You're crazy. Check again!" Mushu clamoured out, darting back and forth, looking for Shan-Yu. He found nothing.

"Oh, well..." Donald left for the mouth of the cave.

"Wait for me, Donald!" Goofy followed the two of them disappearing from sight.

"Hey, wait up!" Sora called.

The ground shook. I yelped, trying to keep my balance. I felt something strange. Something that was too familiar.

"Run!"

We dashed for the exit, but I knew it was already too late. A magic barrier had already been erected. I banged my hands against it, but we were trapped.

"Sora! Alice!" Donald and Goofy banged against it, but we were having no luck.

Sora grabbed my shoulder.

"Can you get rid of it?"

I shook my head.

"It's too powerful, I-"

Heartless started to appear, more than I had ever fought before. We were trapped, and it seemed like if we didn't fight, we would die.


	5. Land of the Dragons PT 2

I cradled the doll, my eyes drooping. I had found it in the snow, but I knew its owner would not be looking for it. The burnt corpses were evidence enough of that. The smell of smoke and burnt hair still lingered in the air. The few survivors dug through what once was their village, looking for anything at all.

We managed to fight off two giant centaur Heartless. Their lances proved to be difficult; I used two of my three potions, and my magic was almost gone. The Elixirs I had made were useless without the proper ingredients. I could do maybe one more spell before I would be depleted.

"Al, your eye-"

I swatted Sora's hand away for the millionth time. I had gotten a cut on my forehead, and the blood was running down my face. He insisted I take a potion, but he was on his last too.

"I'm fine," I snapped.

This should have never happened. The lizard hiding in Ping's armour knew I blamed him for what happened to the village. We should have been here. Not in a cave looking for some imaginary figure.

"Captain!" Ping called loud enough both Sora and I turned to look. Using the wall of what used to be a house, he stood. He clutched his side, his fingers turning red from the blood. Leaving me, Sora rushed to his side. I followed, clutching the doll to my chest.

"Don't overdo it, Captain!" Sora took most of his weight, helping to support him.

"It's just a scratch." He looked at my bloody face, shaking his head.

"Captain, the enemy! Where did they go?" Ping was hurried to go.

I was a little scared. Without my magic, I was nothing but a burden until I could rest long enough it recovered.

"They went toward the summit..." Shang groaned. Sora helped him to sit.

"We'll stop them," Shang nodded at Ping's statement.

"It kind of is our fault,"

I looked to Goofy. He looked guilty, but it wasn't his fault at all.

"You're not the one who did this. We should have been here! We could have saved them!" I wiped the tears off my cheeks; the ones I didn't even realize I was crying. The doll in my hand was proof a child died because of Mushu's ridiculous glory searching.

Mushu said nothing.

"Shan-Yu and the Heartless did this, not us! Captain, if you track down the rest of the villagers, we'll handle this."

Sora pulled at my arm, coaxing me to follow. As much as I didn't want to, I did.

"We can't save everybody," He offered. His usual smile was gone, replaced with the sadness we all felt.

"Then why bother?" I asked, not looking for a real answer. We were all questioning why it had to be like this. Maybe I would have died trying to fight, but could I have saved other lives by giving up my own? Dying in a world that was not my own brought tears to my eyes. Father must have thought I was already dead.

I stopped, spotting something shiny against the snow. A sword was half buried. I grabbed it, looking it over. Other than the blood on the blade, it was in good condition.

"How much magic do you have left?" Sora eyed the blade.

"Not enough." I muttered.

My skills with the sword would be as bad as Ping's, but if it offered a chance of survival, I would take it. We headed towards the summit. My mood didn't improve all the way. I had stuffed the doll in my pocket. I didn't know the child that owned it, but with the care that was put into the tiny, flower embroidered dress, I guessed it was much loved.

The snow was packed enough from the villagers that walking was easy. The path soon died out, and luckily, the snow was still shallow. The cold nipped at my bare skin, but I didn't seem bothered by it. I dragged the sword in the snow behind me, using as little energy as possible.

A scream above us caught my attention. I shivered, the hair on my arms rising. The hawk hovered above us, returning to its owner standing on top of the summit. Behind him were hundred of Heartless, floating, just waiting for orders.

My face paled.

"How are we going to handle _that_?"

Sora readied himself, as did the others. I raised the heavy sword, knowing it wouldn't take long before I was too tired to fight. I had enough magic left only for one spell, so I had to make it count. One lightning bolt or fireball wasn't going to do anything; I needed something bigger.

Shan-Yu thrust his sword in the air.

"Attack!"

The Heartless piled down the mountain towards us. They all seemed to be floating types, hovering just above our heads. As the first wave approached, Sora ran towards one floating a little too close to the ground. He jumped, landing both feet on the Heartless. He stabbed the Keyblade into it, jumping once more before it disappeared. He landed on another, only this time swung around him to kill several at once. The Heartless he was on began to fall, and he jumped for another.

I couldn't copy his actions. I raised the blade, and hacked down at a Heartless that was just a little too slow. It disappeared with a black cloud. Ping was doing the same as me, aiming for the lower ones. Donald shot them down with magic, and Goofy plowed through the ones that had been knocked to the ground.

Two seems to appear for every one that I killed. My arms burned, and I wished I never fought in that cave. I panted, wiping the sweat from my forehead. This was getting ridiculous.

Sora was still jumping around above us, knocking Heartless down for us to kill. He was losing his energy too, it seemed. He jumped down, landing close to me.

"They're aren't as many, but-"

Shan-Yu charged down the mountain, his battle cry echoing off the slopes. None of us were in the condition needed to fight him.

"Stand back!" A voice called from behind us.

I turned. Yao was holding some kind of long, red thing in the shape of a dragon. The end had a string, and its roaring mouth was open.

"We'll handle this!" Ling followed.

Yao stabbed the end into the snow, squatting behind it. He aimed it at Shan-Yu, and found something in his pocket. I realized the dragon must have been some kind of firework.

Ping rushed over, pushing Yao out of the way.

"Sorry!" She grabbed the firework and ran higher up the mountain. I swatted another Heartless out of the way, questioning how any of this was going to stop Shan-Yu from killing us all.

The firework made a bang. The head flew off, aimed high above us in the snow. I bit my lip, watching as it collided with a peak. The firework exploded. The snow around it fell loose, sending it down the mountain.

"Yes!" Ping smiled, running towards us and away from the snow.

It was a good idea, but now we were all caught up in the middle of it. Sora grabbed my arm, forcing me to run with him.

"Captain?" He questioned.

Shang was standing behind us, watching the whole ideal take place. Ping raced towards Shang. Sora and I were too far up the mountain to help.

"Run for it!" Yao yelled.

But where? The snow would sweep us off the map if we let it. It was tumbling down faster than we were running. I pulled my arm from Sora, stopping. He stumbled forward, his eyebrows dipping into a frown.

"Alice-"

"Stay behind me."

I held my hands out, away from my body. I hoped I had just enough magic to pull this off, otherwise I would kill us all. Noticing I had stopped, the other troops rushed to stand somewhere behind me. I didn't hear Ping or Shang.

The wind from the rushing snow blasted my face, the closer it got. It was now or never.

The snow slammed into the barrier I had put everything into. The snow rushed around us, filtered like a current. I didn't expect the weight behind it. My barrier cracked; the spider web fractures visible on the clear wall.

"How is he doing that!?" It sounded like Ling.

I closed my eyes as another crack formed. It wouldn't last much longer.

"Alice, stop! Your nose is bleeding-"

I ignored Sora's cries. My vision started to blur; stars danced at the corners. Snow started to leak under the barrier, giving out. Another crack. One more and the wall would shatter. The snow started to slow, the weight releasing. I coughed, tasting blood. I was reaching my limit. Any longer, and I would die.

Crack.

The barrier smashed, and everything went dark.

I caught Alice before she hit the ground. Combined with the cut above her eyebrow, her face was a bloody mess. But she still saved us all.

She was light to carry, so lowering her to the ground was easy. I hovered my ear above her parted lips. Satisfied she was still breathing, I dug around my pockets for my last potion.

"Ah…" I forgot I had used it a few moments ago. Unlike her, I knew nothing about potion making or even the plants she used to heal my black eye. Her pockets were stuffed with herbs she found in the woods, but feeding her strange plants wasn't a good idea.

"Thanks, Ping." Panted Shang.

At the last second, Ping had dragged Shang behind Alice's barrier.

"It...was nothing."

"I should never have doubted you. From now on, you have my trust."

"Thank you, Captain." Ping smiled.

Shang limped over to where Alice and I were.

"I must thank Al as soon as he wakes. He is alright, isn't he?"

I was caught off guard, remembering Alice was supposed to be a boy for the moment.

"He's, uh, alive."

Shang nodded.

"Good. That was, well, incredible. Both Al and Ping deserve praise for what they have done here."

I nodded, agreeing. What Alice had done could have killed her, but she did it anyway.

Mushu popped his head out of the snow. The little dragon shook to free himself. His frown grew.

"First she uses me as a lighter, then she turns me into a cannon ball. The head ancestor's going to hear about this. You know, that's it! I give up! I can't take this no more. C'mon, Mulan. Let's quit this charade and go home, girl." Mushu managed to climb out of his snowy prison, but the damage had already been done.

"Mushu!" Ping hissed, her eyes darting to Shang.

"Huh?" Mushu turned, and finally noticed Shang standing by us. He clamped his hand over his mouth.

" _Mulan_? A woman? It can't be!" Shang's eyes narrowed, but it seemed like he was beginning to see past her charade. I left Alice as she was, and move to Ping and Shang just in case.

"You all knew, didn't you? You knew Ping was really a woman in disguise,"

My mouth opened, then closed. Denying it was pointless. Shang moved over to Alice, hovering his face over hers.

"This one too? I heard you call the name 'Alice', but didn't think there would be two women in my army. I can't believe you lied to me. The punishment for high treason and dishonoring the army...is death. Get out of my sight...now. You're all dismissed."

Yao and the others watched from the side. They seemed just as baffled as Shang had been. Their eyes moved from Ping to Alice.

"But Captain..." I stood in front of him. "Alice and Ping both saved you-"

"My debt is repaid."

Shang moved towards the path that lead down the mountain, leaving us to stand as we were.

"The Emperor is waiting! Move out!" The army turned, and after a few minutes, we were alone. I returned to Alice's side. Her skin seemed cold.

"Sorry, Ping," I said.

She shook her head.

"Call me Mulan. Thank you, and sorry I got you in trouble."

"It's no big deal. I thought Alice would have been the one to blow our cover. She's a little too good at acting like a lady. So Ping... I mean, uh, Mulan...what're you gonna do now?"

Mulan shrugged.

"Go back home."

Mushu stabbed his finger at Mulan.

"You know, your daddy's gonna be steamed as a chicken dumpling."

She just sighed, knowing her fate. We were at fault too.

"Relax, we'll take our share of the blame."

Her shoulders seemed to relax a little.

"Thanks. You're all wonderful friends."

I looked around. Thanks to Alice's wall, the snow had formed a makeshift wind breaker. Starting a fire and camping here for the night might have been the best plan, especially if Alice was still out cold. I voiced my idea, and the others agreed. We could make our way down the mountain tomorrow.

I helped gather whatever branches I could find. Everybody returned back with small bushels. It would barely get us through the night. The temperature was dropping, and as the sun set, I debated if we should have returned to the village.

Donald started the fire. I moved Alice closer, but she still seemed colder than she should have been. Our clothes weren't made for this weather.

"Will she be alright?" Mulan warmed a soaked cloth to clean her face with.

"I hope so,"

Alice was strange. I knew that from the start, but I had never heard of magic running out. Her bloody nose and near death experience told me she did have a limit that could be reached. I regretted bringing her here.

"Are you alright, Sora?" Mulan dabbed Alice's face, the red smears wiping clean.

"Just thinking how weird Alice is," I admitted. I wanted to know more about who she was. She was high born, with a hobby of plants. That was it.

Mulan giggled, as Donald and Goofy returned with dinner. My hope was lost when they came back empty handed.

"Where on a mountain," Donald stomped his feet. "what did you expect?"

I shrugged.

"Food?"

Mulan and Goofy laughed, but Donald went into one of his fits. I had known the duck a long time, and he would calm down at some point.

The stars came out, and shone at their brightest. Mulan moved close to the fire, using half her armour as a blanket. I checked Alice was still breathing once again, before settling down for the night. The day's pains settled in as I relaxed.

I was warm.

After feeling so cold, the warmth was a welcoming feeling. But what happened? I remembered casting the barrier, and the avalanche, but after that, nothing. I didn't press to hard for the memories. I pushed closer towards the heat source. It moved. No, it breathed.

I forced my eyes open, faced with Sora's chest. His arm was draped over me. My back was chilled, but the rest of me was comfier than I had been for a while. Still, I pushed myself away until I was free of his grasp.

Sora blinked, yawning. He must have noticed my red face.

"Sorry, about that. You were just so cold I thought you would have frozen to death,"

I sat up, looking around. We were against a snow wall.

"We're all alive?" I questioned, ignoring the fact a few moments ago he was touching me without permission. "Where is everyone else? They did survive, right?"

Sora scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, they're alright, but…" His eyes flickered to Ping. She was sleeping with her hair down, and using the armour as a makeshift blanket. I touched my own hair; it too was down and Sora had taken his jacket back.

"He found out. But how?"

"This and that. It's not important. We're free to go."

I held out my hand, testing my magic. A few sparks danced on my palm. It was more than yesterday, but still not quite enough. I needed an Elixir.

The sun started to peak over the summit when Mulan started to stir from her sleep. Donald and Goofy woke soon after. We were all tired and hungry, but up here on the mountain, our stomachs would have to stay that way until we found food.

We covered the fire in snow, the smoke cut off instantly. We gathered our things, and made our way to the trail. A familiar shape flew above us. It swooped down, and flew past where we had camped for the night.

Shan-Yu's roar threw us all to the ground. Still half hidden behind a bushy tree, we peeked around. He dug himself out of the snow, Heartless following. The Hawk landed on his shoulder. He looked around at his surroundings, before marching off north.

"Shan-Yu!" Mulan hissed.

"He's alive?" I thought all that snow would have crushed him, or being buried alive would have killed him for good.

"He's heading for the Imperial City! We've got to warn Shang!"

We took off for the trail, Mulan leading. Shang already had a day's head start, but we had the advantage of not being slowed by an army. I stumbled a few times. We made it just past the burnt village when I begged to stop. The same white flowers from the forest sprouted out between the rocks.

I swiped a handful, handing everybody one each.

"Eat this."

They did.

The taste was bitter; the petals had a terrible texture to chew on, but when swallowed, these flowers were known for their warm feeling. Sora frowned, but swallowed regardless. Donald looked like he wanted to spit it out. It didn't take long for the effects to spread. My stomach felt full, and my feet lighter. It was just an illusion, but enough for now.

We caught a glimpse of the Imperial Army, but we didn't catch up until just inside the tall palace walls. It was devoid of people. We raced past the men we had stayed with, our goal the swishing red cape.

"Shang!" He stopped, turning at the sound of Mulan's voice. "Shan-Yu is alive! He's headed this way!"

Shang's eyes narrowed. He kept walking.

"And why should I believe you this time?"

"We're telling you the truth!" I crossed my arms. This hand's head was too thick.

Donald quacked, and pointed to the hawk in the sky. It circled before landing on Shan-Yu's shoulder. He stood on one of the many towers, looking down at us. He jumped, headed for the giant iron doors.

"Guard the palace! Do not let the enemy get anywhere near the Emperor!" Shang took out his own sword.

Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po charged forward, followed by several other soldiers. Half of the army stayed put.

"That's an order!"

The men hunched over, an odd feeling washing over the courtyard. Black smoke swirled around them. Their shapes changed. Limbs grew longer, bodies wider, as they changed into Heartless.

"Captain! We'll secure the courtyard, and you can save the Emperor!" Sora rushed forward, attacking the newly made Heartless. I raised my own sword, my arms still sore.

Shang stayed put, his confusion clear.

"That's an order!" I barked.

He ran off, leaving us to take care of the Heartless. They were slow, but when they attacked, a pulse wave would knock you flying. If more than one attack at once, it was nearly impossible to dodge. We finished them off faster than I thought we would.

"The Emperor's in danger!" Mulan ran after where Shang had gone.

Shan-Yu held a sword to the throat of a very elderly man. He was thin, the fine golden silks and jewel hung off him. His face was calm, despite the impending threat.

"Now you'll bow to me!"

Shan-Yu looked to our group. His eyes narrowed, but I recognized the flicker behind them. Fear. He must have seen everything we had done at the summit, including my little magic stunt. The flower had helped enough. I furthered his fear by lighting my hands on fire.

Shang jumped down from above. Using his sword, he knocked Shan-Yu away, and took hold of the emperor. He lead him toward the palace. Chien-Po and Ling each grabbed a door, and closed it tightly. Shan-Yu got back to his feet.

"It ends now!"The nervous Mulan I met was long gone.

" _Right_ now!" Sora readied himself.

Shan-Yu laughed, his yellowed teeth showing. A dark energy swept over him. Something wasn't right. I swept past the others, and towards the door. I didn't have enough magic to fight, but there was something I could do. I dropped the sword, and like the previous day, erected a wall. Without the strain of all that snow, the spell would last longer. Seeing what I was doing, Shan-Yu ran towards me, his sword raised. He yelled, before hacking down.

The wall threw his sword off.

Sora, from behind, stabbed his Keyblade into Shan-Yu's side. The bulky metal would do some damage. Mulan stabbed her own, Shan-Yu parrying it with ease. He slashed my barrier again. A tiny crack appeared. Sora wouldn't let him break it.

Shan-Yu seemed to grow faster in speed. He darted around, using the shadows. Sora had a hard time keeping up, landing only a few blows here and there. Mulan followed Shan-Yu's every move. She managed to scratch him with her sword.

A burst of red caught my attention. Sora's other hand held a Keyblade; his clothes had turned red. His feet were quicker and lighter. Shan-Yu couldn't run from him. Sora attacked with both Keyblades, swinging them without mercy. Shan-Yu gripped his sword tighter but it was too late.

Mulan stabbed him from behind.

Shan-Yu dropped his sword, clutching his side.

Mushu popped out of somewhere, dancing around the fallen Shan-Yu.

"Now that's what I call burning some hunny-bun! Aw, yeah! Mulan's the best! Mulan's the best! No, wait a minute, I'm the best! Mushu's the best! Mushu's the best!"

I let my barrier fall, moving out of the way for the doors. I moved by Sora, wiping the little bit of blood from my nose.

"Good thinking," He flashed me a smile and a thumbs up.

The Emperor, walking with Shang, emerged from the palace. A cheer rang out behind us. Hundreds of people gathered in the square. I let out a breath, not realizing we were being watched.

The Emperor stopped in front of Mulan. She bowed with respect; we copied her action.

"I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan."

This voice was stern, but the kindness leaked through.

"You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated an Imperial soldier. You deceived your commanding officer, shamed the entire Chinese army, and dishonored your family name."

"We get the picture..." Sora muttered under his breath.

"You're a young woman. And in the end..." The Emperor tapped her shoulder, telling her to stand up straight. "...you have saved us all."

The Emperor bowed to Mulan. She looked completely speechless, as did we all. The cheering crowd's noise grew.

"Your Excellency!" Mulan wasn't sure what to do with herself. The Emperor stood, nodding towards Shan-Yu's sword.

"Captain Li?"

Shang fetched it, offering it to the Emperor.

"Take this, so the world will know what it is you have done for China."

Mulan accepted, bowing again.

"Thank you,"

We all smiled, glad things turning out as they did. Shang awkwardly stood in front of Mulan.

"Mulan."

"Yes?" She grinned.

Seeming to forget what he was going to say, Shang shook his head.

"Sora. Donald. Goofy. Alice." He bowed, his frown still present. "Thank you."

The Emperor chuckled.

"Thank you"? Is that all there is to say, Captain? If you wish to win the heart of Fa Mulan, China's bravest woman, you'll have to be a bit more eloquent than that!"

Shang was flustered, making me giggle. The Emperor or and Mulan laughed. Mulan approached us.

"Thanks for everything, you guys."

I shook my head.

"Thank you for putting up with us for as long as you did."

Mushu stomped around, looking hopeful.

"Now they GOTTA let me go back to bein' a guardian! They GOTTA!"

I frowned.

"I thought you already were a family guardian, lizard."

Sora laughed, poking fun at the dragon. He tried to grab his tail, but Mushu was too fast. He stopped when he noticed Shan-Yu's sword glowing. It was the same light from when we were in Hollow Bastion.

Sora pointed his Keyblade at it, opening another world gate. The people of China seemed fascinated by the glowing, strange light.

"Guess it's about time to be movin' on." Goofy rubbed his chin.

"You shall be missed." The Emperor bowed to us once again.

Mulan tilted her head.

"Before you go, would you care to visit my family for dinner? It isn't much, but-"

"Yes!" Sora answered, before the rest of us even had time to think about it.

"Are you sure it isn't tight enough already?" I groaned, as the strings at my waist were pulled tighter.

"You're the one who said you would love to wear one of our traditional outfits," Mulan giggled, tying the strings. She helped me slip on the dress, and pulled even more strings. The fabric was smooth. It was a long time since I wore silks, and I forgot how much I loved it. I was then sat down. My hair was pulled at, and white makeup painted on my face.

"Is this necessary?"

"Tradition!"

I sat still, waiting for her to finish.

Mulan's shoes were far too small for my own feet, but the dress was long enough my dirtied shoes would be covered anyway. Mulan showed me to a mirror.

"What do you think?"

My face had been painted white, black drawn across my eyelids and winged out. Dabs of purple, matching my eyes, were on the corner of my eyes. My lips had been painted red. The dress itself was purple and pink. Seeing myself wearing it, it didn't feel right.

"Should I really be wearing this, Mulan? You said you didn't mind, but-"

"Trust me, I have no interest in it."

We made our way outside. Sora lounged under a flowering tree, napping it seemed. Donald and Goofy had left, using the time to upgrade the Gummi Ship. They wanted to leave as soon as possible, but I wanted to linger a little more.

Sora sat up when he hear us coming near. He rubbed his eyes, and was startled to see me dressed the way I was. I would have been to.

"You look…"

"Strange?"

"Pretty."

I was glad the layers of makeup hid my red face. Mulan giggled, swiping up one of the fallen blossoms.

"You don't think she looks pretty as a blossom-"

"Hey, isn't that Shang?" Sora interrupted.

Mulan dropped the flower, and spun. Shang stood awkwardly at the entrance of the garden. Happy he had the right house after he spotted us, he marched over. He held a helmet against his chest.

Sora jumped up, saluting. I just sat. I was no longer a soldier.

"At ease, soldier." Sora dropped his hand. "Ah, Mulan! You, err, forgot your helmet. Well, your father's helmet, but I thought you might want it back-"

"Thank you, Shang." Mulan took it back, clearly amused by his flustered babbling.

I stood, gesturing for Sora to follow.

"We'll leave you two alone." I smiled, returning her teasing from before.

"Wait, Alice. You can keep that dress, if you'd like. I know you are in a hurry to leave."

I shook my head.

"I couldn't possibly. It is far too beautiful and I would hate to rid you of it."

Mulan smiled, pushing us towards the gate.

"No, no, I insist! Think of it as a thank you gift."

Shang looked me over, seeming to recognize it.

"The Matchmaker's dress really suits you,"

"M-Matchmaker? You mean this is-"

"Have a safe journey!"


	6. Beast's Castle

A/N: Between a car accident, concussion and being an author for a published series, I can finally say this chapter is done. I'm sorry for taking so long. I know some of you really like this story, and I didn't realize until I got serval messages asking me to update. I will do my best from now on!

I slipped a hanger inside the dress Mulan had given me, smoothing out the wrinkles. I wasn't sure when I would be able to wear it next, as much as I wanted to. I placed in inside my new closet.

Donald and Goofy found enough parts to upgrade the Gummi Ship. I no longer had to stay in Sora's room. My walls were plain white, and a thin mattress was all I had to sleep on. Sora promised the next world we visited we could look for a real bed, but I was just happy to have some privacy.

I fished the crushed plants out of my pockets and moved on to the kitchen. The pantry had been extended, and Mulan's family had given us some jars. I dropped the wilting greens on the counter. They were going to be dried anyway. I found some string and tied it around the roots of the plants and hung them upside down. After they dried, I would grind them up.

My main problem was the tiny dragon scale. It was smaller than my thumb nail, so splitting it three ways was never going to work. The longer I waited to use it though, the less power it had.

"Why the gloomy face?"

I turned at the sound of Sora's voice. I showed him Mushu's scale.

"I should have taken every scale that lizard had. One of these will do nothing if it's divided,"

Sora shrugged.

"You have it, then. You deserve it after everything you did. Besides, having you get stronger is the best way to survive."

I raised my brow.

"Are you sure? Who knows when we'll see dragons again."

Sora nodded, walking past me and towards the fridge. He dug out some cheese slices, bread, and butter. I returned my attention to the scale, letting out a sigh. Sora was right. I needed to get stronger. I dug out my bowl and grinding rock, and set to work as a pot of water boiled. Sora found his own pan, and buttered each slice of bread before dropping it in the pan.

"What in the name of Faerydae are you making?"

Sora flipped the sandwich with a spatula.

"A grilled cheese sandwich. Have you never had one?"

I dropped the rest of my Dragon's Tongue supply in the water, followed by the crushed scale. A cloud of smoke burst over the top, turning the liquid red. I put the pot lid on.

"No. Should I have? It looks…" I had to admit the golden bread with oozing cheese did smell and look appetizing.

Sora flipped the sandwich onto a plate, and cut it down the middle with a knife. He returned to the fridge for ketchup. He squeezed a spot onto the plate, and offered it to me.

"Eat it. You clearly missed out as a kid."

I hesitated, but dipped the corner of the bread into the ketchup, and took a bite. I expected an awful taste, but was met with a delicious combination of gooey cheese and crispy bread.

Sora smiled, getting out more food to make his own.

"See? I told you it was good."

"Almost," I swallowed, "as the gold dusted dark chocolate truffles I grew up on. I wish I had grilled cheese sandwiches every day."

Sora tossed me a glance.

"Truffles? I've been dying to know: is your family rich? You act and talk like a lady even when you don't have to."

I froze.

I was worried this day would come. If I told Sora my family was very important in my world, he might just refuse to let me fight anymore.

"Sort of," I figured telling him a little wouldn't be so bad. "My father is a very talented potion maker, so he is among the top families in Faerydae."

Sora took a few bites of his own sandwich, just as I was finishing mine.

"If he's half as talented as you, I can see why!"

I smiled.

"I wish I was half as talented as him! I've been studying since I was a child, so one day I could, um, take over the family business."

The ship jerked, and suddenly dropped. My back slammed into the counter, my hands doing their best to brace myself. The floor leveled out, a final jerk stopped us completely. The familiar sound of the landing bracers echoed.

Sora swallowed the rest of his sandwich, and dumped his plate in the sink. I checked my potion on the stove, and turned off the heat, tossing in the remaining ingredients. It would take three days to change color and cool down.

"Get ready, Al. It looks like we've reached the next world."

The starts glittered across the sky, decorating the pitch black. The moon offered little light, so the fireball in my hand was needed to see. Tall pine trees surrounded our ship, concealing it from any eyes that wandered down the path we had found.

Donald shook a little, and Goofy's head darted left and right, but I was comfortable. It was a warm darkness, like in Faerydae. We had nothing to worry about.

The trees started to break away the longer we walked. I shook the fire out of existence, finding the moonlight finally bright enough to see.

"What's that?" I pointed to a small light in the distance.

Sora squinted, shaking his head.

We picked up our pace.

"Maybe it's a village," I guessed. "Maybe we can find supplies-"

I was wrong.

The last tree cleared, and the ground turned to interlocking stone. Iron gates rose from the ground, clamped shut. A courtyard spread across, far bigger than the one in the Faerydae palace. Gargoyles decorated the perimeter.

"Who lives here?" My question when unanswered.

I couldn't blame the others for staring at the monstrous castle. I had grown used to the size Faerydae's royal palace. The castle looming in the background was several times bigger. A light burned in one of the windows, on the west side.

Sora tugged at the gate. The metal groaned, then screamed as it was dragged across the stone.

"Sora! What are you doing? We can't trespass!"

Donald ran past me, taking hold of the gate and helped Sora. I looked to Goofy, unsure of what to do. Anyone who lived here was obviously a royal, or a wealthy noble. Their wrath would be felt. I remember dealing with the nobles of Faerydae. Some were not pleasant.

Sora slipped through the gate, Donald following. Goofy hesitated, but stepped through as well. The group looked to me, wondering what I would do.

I bit my lip.

"Fine!" I stomped my foot. "I'll go with you. But good luck talking your way out of it,"

I squeezed past the bars, brushing against the metal.

The gargoyles stared us down, their half open mouths looked like they were ready to take a bite. I hurried my pace. The stone path lead us to the front doors. Dead plants lined the sides. This place was being severely neglected and needed some fresh flowers. The air was warm; there was no excuse for the poor maintenance.

Standing twenty feet tall, the doors were a dark wood. I eyed the knocker, wondering if our call would even be answered so late at night.

"Maybe we should go back to the ship, and come back in the morning? It is rude to wake-"

Sora pushed open one of the doors, gesturing me to follow, a smile on his face.

He was insane, but I followed.

Torches were mounted to the several pillars in the main entrance. It stretched far; a grand staircase against the wall. Doors lined the left and the right sides. A red carpet seemed to invite us in, leading to the stairs.

"Sorta gloomy, don't ya think?" Goofy muttered.

I nodded, silently agreeing.

"I wonder who lives here," Sora's attention was drawn to the only open door on the right. I too was curious. Light poured out the ajar door. I could feel the faint presence of magic.

A beastly roar echoed off the walls.

I froze, fear stabbing into me. My heart doubled in speed. It wasn't a human who made that noise. I looked to Sora, but he didn't seem concerned. Goofy rubbed his chin.

"Hey, does anybody else recognize that?"

Sora's eyes lit up. "Hey! That's the Beast!"

Beast?

"Maybe we should check up on him," Donald started walking to the stairs.

"Wait, are you serious?" This had to be some kind of joke. The three ignored my concerns, and headed in Donald's direction. I sighed, knowing I would have to follow.

The room was rather dark, and shadows could often play tricks, but a motion close to the open door caught my attention. I stopped, drawn once again to the magic feeling coming from the room. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to look.

I slipped into the shadows, glancing at the group ahead. They were laughing at a joke, it seemed, not noticing my leaving.

A flicker of black ran past the door once more. I stepped closer, taking a deep breath. Whatever magic was in there was strong. The passion behind it sent swirls out clouds throughout my mind. I nodded my head. It was a curse. Yes, a curse. I wanted to see it. See the curse. The curse made of love and hatred. Hatered, and love. Love and-

"Alice?" Sora's hand dropped on my shoulder.

I blinked, turning to look at him.

We stood in the parlor room. A roaring fire was alive in the fireplace, sending shadows across the floor. A bookshelf stood against the wall, packed full. A table and two chairs sat in the other corner. My eyes stared at the glowing rose, surrounded by glass.

"Are you okay?" Sora's eyes narrowed.

I faked a smiled, and nodded, looking back to the rose. Petals had fallen from it, leaving the flower with only half its beauty.

"Watch out!" Donald pushed into me, a Heatless standing were I was a moment ago.

Sora flicked his wrist, the Keyblade materializing. He swung it, killing it with ease. Three more grew from the room's shadows. I stood off to the side, killing the ones that wandered too close to me with fire. I didn't want to risk setting the whole castle on fire.

The Heartless population continued to grow.

"Aw, c'mon! Enough already!" Sora groaned, wiping the sweat from his face.

"Somebody help us!" Donald swung his staff into a Heartless, only to have six more take its place.

The parlor door slammed open.

My heart stopped. A creature standing twice as tall as me and covered in thick brown hair entered the room. Large teeth curled upwards, a scowl on its face. My eyes lingered on the horns growing from his head. He wore a cloak and a torn pair of pants.

Sora lowered his guard.

"Just in time,"

The Beast ignored us. Sora ran to stand in front of him.

"Beast-"

Beast's arm rose, swinging to knock both Sora and the Heartless away. I clamped my eyes shut. Sora flew backwards, and crashed into me. His weight seemed heavier than what he probably was.

"G-Get off," I muttered, my air cut off.

Sora rolled off, a hand against his stomach.

"Sorry," He winced.

The Beast picked up the rose's glass cage, and held it to his chest. His large, furry hands held it with such gentleness I question just what this creature was. He spun, walking past us and out the door. I could hear his growls until he was too far away.

I pushed off my knees, struggling to stand. Having Sora land on me was a little painful.

"Gee, do ya think he maybe forgot who we are?" Goofy helped Donald to his feet.

"With this many Heartless around, something must be up," Sora looked me over, making sure I was alright. Satisfied, he gestured to the door.

I led the way out, my eyes darting back and forth. I didn't want to be caught off guard once again. I let out a sigh, and looked to the stairs. I caught a flash of brown hair and a blue dress.

"What is it?" Sora asked.

"I thought I saw a woman,"

"Well... If the Beast is here in the castle, that lady musta been Belle, right?"

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Maybe so. Belle might know what's happened to the Beast, too."

Belle? Beast? This was the strangest place yet.

I followed them silently. The feeling of the rose had disappeared.

The east wing was brighter than the main entrance, but still rather dim for my liking. The once white wallpaper was filthy. Square patches of white told me pictures used to hang on the wall. I brushed some spider webs out of my face. Who would ever live here?

The three stopped.

"What-"

"Shhh!"

I frowned at Sora silencing me. They moved closer to the door.

"What am I going to do?"

A woman's voice was muffled behind the door. She sounded distressed.

Sora pointed to the door. Donald nodded, but Goofy shook his head. I had an idea of what they were about to do when Sora and Donald backed up against the wall across from the door.

"Stop." I ordered. The two looked up at me, wide eyed. "You're acting like children."

I knocked on the door. The noises on the other side of the door fell silent.

A woman peeked her head out. Her eyebrows were crumped together, but she was still really beautiful. Her brown eyes made contact with Sora, bypassing me.

"Oh, I'm so happy you're here!" She opened the door all the way.

Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but a few stray curls framed her face. She grabbed Donald off the floor, squeezing the poor duck. She giggled, spinning around once. Donald quacked in protest.

"Donald! Sora! Goofy!" She planted a kiss on Donald's head and put him down. "I'm Belle," She said, finally noticing me.

"Alice," I returned.

"Where's the Beast?" Sora stuck his head in Belle's room, disappointed he wasn't there.

Belle's smile faded.

"Oh, he must be in the west wing. We don't talk like we used to,"

"Did something happen?" I asked. There was no question that she was close to the Beast somehow. I was still fearful.

"Yes. Isn't that why you're here?" She looked to Sora, hope in her eyes.

"Not exactly. But we can still help, since we're here and all."

I glanced at him, raising my eyebrow. He could have just said yes to make her feel a little bit better about the situation.

"The Beast won't talk to you?" I inquired, hoping to get as much information as I could before we jumped straight in.

"He's been acting strange lately. The only ones who might know why are locked up in the dungeon. I want to help them, but..."

"Wait a second," Sora rubbed his chin. "Who locked who up?"

"The Beast locked up his servants. That's what I don't know,"

"Hmm," Sora tapped his chin. "Where's this dungeon?"

Belle walked out farther into the hallway. She pointed in the direction we had come from.

"You can get to the undercroft from the west hall. The dungeon is down there. Please be careful. I'm not sure what is going on, but Beast is not himself."

Sora gave her a thumbs up and a smile. She relaxed a little.

We returned back to where we started, climbing the stairs of the west wing. This side of the castle was what I was expecting. Tall stone walls stretched twenty feet above us, decorated by tapestries and suits of armor. The red carpet beneath our feet silenced our steps. It felt like a palace fit for a royal family, but where were they? Belle had said the servants were locked up. Lords were permitted to have servants in my world, but that did not explain Beast's living quarters.

"There should be a way into the undercroft around here," Sora scanned the walls. The hall ended, and stairs to the right must have lead to another set of rooms. Amour blocked the way.

I eyes the suspicious wardrobe. I ducked to my knees, peering under it.

"Sora, there's a door behind this,"

"Great," Sora leaned against it, pushing it out of the way. When only a few inches were left, a pair of eyes opened on the wooden furniture.

"Do you MIND?"

The wardrobe frowned, and moved the stumpy bit of wood on its bottom to settle in its normal spot.

I stared, unsure of what to do.

"The wardrobe talked," That was not possible. Animation spells to give things like furniture life was impossible.

Sora pushed against it again, this time stopping for small breaks so he would not wake it again. Completely out of the way, its eyes opened again, followed by a yawn.

"And I was just starting to get comfortable... May I help you?"

I bit my lip.

I must have hit my head somewhere along the way, and this was all a fantastic dream.

"Belle needs us to go to the dungeon," Sora tried to tug on the handles of the door, but the wardrobe moved once again, blocking the way.

"Goodness! You're here to help my friends? Well, why didn't you say so?" It smiled, and noticing the look on my face, sighed. "I'm sorry I startled you. Oh, I used to be human, you know, until the enchantress cast her spell. I was turned into a wardrobe when the prince was turned into a beast."

"The Beast is a prince?" All of us seemed to chime at once.

"That's right. Although his behavior was far from princely at the time."

I sucked in a deep breath. I was silly. It was faint, but I should have noticed the trace of magic around the wardrobe.

"What's this about a spell?" Perhaps I could break it if I tried.

"Well, it was a cold winter's night..."

I leaned in closer, wondering what kind of person would be strong enough to put a spell on not only one person, but the wardrobe too.

"Ah. And that's enough for now. You can hear the rest when you've rescued the others. It'll give you something to look forward to." It moved out of the way. "Hurry, now. The dungeon is damp and chilly. Certainly no place for a clock!"

"A clock?" What did a clock have to do with anything?

Sora pulled at the doors, succeeding in opening it. A gust of dry, musty air blasted in our faces. I followed Sora inside.

"This must be it," I said. The rooms was littered with boxes and random objects. White sheets covered what must have been the paintings that had been taken down from the east wing's hallway.

"There's nobody here," Sora picked up a cup, brushing off the spider webs.

"You mean there's nobody to rescue?" Donald brushed off some dust, looking at an old mirror.

I let out a sigh. Maybe this wasn't the dungeon Belle was talking about-

"Did someone say "rescue"?"

I jumped at the sound of a voice. It was heavily accented.

"Shhh!" Another hissed, "Keep quiet. It might be them,"

"Oh," An older woman said. "They look like nice boys to me. And the girl is pretty,"

"We are nice," Goofy said to nothing in particular, but the room itself. "We're your friends. Belle sent us to find you."

I resisted a scream as a candlestick, clock, teapot and tea cup came out of hiding from behind the boxes.

"I'm Sora. Donald. Goofy. That's Alice." He gestured to each of us. I gave a slight bow, unsure of proper manners to address household items.

"I am Lumiere, mon cheri," The candle took my hand and kissed it. I glanced to Sora, but he just shrugged.

"Leave the girl alone!" The teapot turned to us. "You may call me Mrs. Potts. Chip, come introduce yourself,"

The tiny teacup hopped in front of Mrs. Potts.

"I-I'm Chip," The tiny cup looked so shy and cute.

"I am Cogsworth," muttered the clock.

"Did somebody put a spell on you, too?" The faint presence of magic was there.

"Yes," Cogsworth replied. "That's right! You've heard! It was the enchantress,"

"It seems so long ago..." Lumiere's eyes dropped.

Chip hopped towards me. I bent over a picked him up. There was a slight crack in the cup. I cradled him gently with both hands.

"It was a cold winter's night," Mrs. Potts continued. "An old beggar woman came to the castle, and asked for shelter. But the master of this castle, that is, of course, the Prince…The master turned her away. All because of her, ahem, meager appearance."

I frowned.

"That's awful," If someone ever begged my father and I for shelter, the word would always be yes. Our home seemed so empty after my mother's passing.

"Oui. He was a spoiled prince, so selfish and, how shall I say, cruel."

"Lumiere!" The clock looked like he wanted the candle to melt into a puddle.

"The old woman warned our master not to be deceived by appearances," Mrs. Potts ignored the two. "Still, he would not take her in. Then the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. She turned the Prince into a beast, a shape she thought fitting for his cold heart. And to further punish him, everyone in the castle was enchanted, too."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" I couldn't undo the spell. I didn't know what kind of spell she even used, and even if I did, I was not nearly powerful enough to take care of it.

Lumiere hopped closer.

"We already know what needs to be done, but with the master out of sorts..."

"He sure is acting weird," Sora finished his thought.

"It's almost as if he's forgotten how to trust others," Mrs. Potts frowned.

Sora gestured towards the door.

"Nothing is going to happen if we just talk about it. Let's go find the Beast!"

"Splendid!" Cogsworth jumped down from the box he sat on.

"Follow me, messieurs, madam. I know a shortcut."

Lumiere showed us another door hidden behind some of the boxes. The air was cool, musty, and pitch dark.

"Allow me," Lumiere tried to lead the way, but he wasn't giving off enough light for all of us to see. I raised my hand, setting it on fire. The fames illuminated the dark walls, casting long shadows. The enchanted servants glanced at me with wide eyes, but said nothing.

We climbed a short set of stairs. Cogsworth pushed against a brick, and the wall swung out, leaving us behind the blocked passage way. A long, dark hallway was head of us.

"Now, I must check on the castle. I fear my absence has been too long," Lumiere hopped off.

"I'd best be off, too, dears," Mrs. Potts nudged Chip and the two left.

"Watch out for the Heartless!" Sora called after them.

Cogsworth moved into the darkened hallway.

"The master's room is at the very end of the west wing."

The west wing was nothing like the east. Claw marks were on every wall, deep and ruining the wallpaper. Broken statues littered the floor. A painting was ripped to shreds. Beast's door dangled from the hinge, giving us access to the room.

Sora held up his hand, stopping us. I cast him a look, and he held his finger to his lips.

"It's time you dealt with Belle." I did not know the voice. "She's scheming to take everything you have. This castle, your precious rose. And then your life. Trust no one. Feed your anger! Only anger will keep you strong."

The voice was calm and soothing.

"I've had enough of strength," Grumbled Beast. "There's only one thing I want-"

"What? To love, and be loved in return? Who could ever love a beast?"

My heart sank. The mystery voice made me realize just how I was classifying Beast: and actual beast. If the story was true, Beast was human once.

Sora moved into the doorway, hearing enough. Beast roared, slashing at the already destroyed bed.

"See? She has accomplices," The voice belonged to a member of Organization XIII. His hood was up; I could not see who it was.

My heart doubled in speed. I flicked my fingers, setting half my arms ablaze. I would kill him.

Noticing what I was doing, the man chucked and disappeared into his black portal. I tried to race into it, but Beast was in the way. His eyes were glazed over. He roared, his eyes moving to mine.

"No more magic!"

His claws grazed my torso. My skin burned in pain, the hot blood already staining my clothes. I dropped to my knees, the fire I held extinguished.

"Oh dear! Master!" Cogsworth scrambled behind Sora.

I half crawled to the wall, my arm draped over my wound. How deep was it? Beast didn't even slow down after attacking me. He charged at Sora, but he was faster than I was. He dodged Beast's swings.

"Please, Master! Please! Compose yourself!" Cogsworth rang loudly, while Sora used his Keybade to keep the Beast at bay. Eventually Beast's movements because sluggish, and he stopped.

"Cogsworth...what happened?" Beast rubbed his head.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Sora rushed over, potion in hand. He popped the cork, and held it to my lips. I drank it down, the pain turning to a throb and my cuts healed.

"Thanks," I muttered.

Sora frowned, his blue eyes not leaving mine.

"That was stupid, Alice. You could've died,"

I just nodded, knowing it would be best to agree for now.

"Well, Master...ah, you see...that is... How shall I say...ah, actually...mmm..."

"Well," Donald stomped his foot. "You put everybody down there in that dungeon!"

"I did what?" Beast's eyes grew wide.

"Ah...you did!" Cogsworth hopped over to his master, whom was now regretting his actions.

Sora helped me to my feet.

"Who was the man you were talking to? The one in black?"

Beast looked at the blood on my shirt and torn clothes, knowing he was the one who had done it.

"Xaldin... that's his name. He came from the darkness... He...used my anger to control me. He took all my sorrow, my sadness, my pain-and turned it all into rage. There was nothing I could do... I could no longer see the truth."

"Well, I'll be. That must be why you threw all of your friends down there into the dungeon. You wanted to make sure that you didn't hurt 'em, right?"

I looked to Goofy, giving a small smile. He could be very encouraging sometimes.

"Was that it? Was it to protect them?"

"He's right, Master. We've all seen how kind you can be. After all, Belle can see the goodness in your heart, but I'm afraid you've yet to-"

"Belle!" Beast looked happy for a moment, but he soon sighed. "I've mistreated her... I've mistreated her and been so selfish."

"She didn't say anything about that," I piped in. "Why don't you just go talk to her?"

"But..."

"No excuses! We'll go with you."

Beast led the way, this time without having to use the secret passage ways. He fumbled with his face hair, straightening his cloak and adjusting the way his pants sat. I giggled, realizing the Beast was just like any other person.

Sora leaned in, whispering.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

I nodded.

"Good as new. I thought we would be fighting more Heartless, not playing matchmaker."

"Matchmaker?"

"You can't tell?" I peered at him through the corner of my eye. He look very confused.

"Tell what?"

I giggled again, speeding up my pace.

I knocked on Belle's door. Nothing.

"Belle?" I called. "Beast is here-"

"Master!"

The same wardrobe from before crashed through the door. Smiling brightly, it hopped back and forth on its legs.

"Everybody's safe now," Donald gestured to Cogsworth, whom had followed.

"Wonderful! Thank you!"

Beast moved to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of Belle.

"Where is Belle?"

"Why, she left in a hurry." The wardrobe hopped to show us the direction. "Something about going after this man in black."

"WHAT?" Beast roared. "Why doesn't she do as she's told?" His anger was coming out.

"Temper, temper!" The wardrobe rocked back and forth on its wooden feet. "Her spirit is what makes Belle so special,"

"Special or not, we'd better go find her." I agreed with Sora.

Organization XIII seemed to be dangerous. I didn't know Belle personally, but I doubted her tiny figure could take a hit.

We searched room after room, finding nothing. With each new door opening, Beast seemed to grow angrier and impatient. His growls became louder.

"I'm warning you! You'll be sorry!"

We stopped on the stairs leading to the front entrance. Belle's screams were near, but hard to locate.

"Belle! Where are you?" Beast pressed his ear against the wall.

"Beast! Help! I'm in the ballroom!"

My feet pounded against the stairs. My face flushed with nerves as a crashing sound continued to grow. I could feel something tainted by magic, even through the thick wall. Beast grabbed the door handles, throwing them open with ease. Belle ran into his large chest.

"Belle!" Beast wrapped his large arms around, nearly covering her whole body.

"I'm all right," She sobbed.

I nudged Sora with my elbow.

"There's something in there. I can feel it."

We squeezed past Belle and Beast into the ballroom.

Lush curtains covered the windows, the matching yellow floor giving life to the room. The balcony doors were thrown open, allowing a gentle breeze to drift in. It smelt like pine. I smiled, reminded of home. Every month, the Faerydae palace would invite everyone of all status and throw a grand ball. Food and entertainment were always top notch. I wished there was music so I could dance in a grand place like I used to.

"I don't see anything," Sora looked around, frowning. I could still feel the presence of something.

"Maybe-"

A ball of darkness dropped from the ceiling. It collided with the floor, sending out waves of dark clouds. The first one to hit us made me feel nauseated. My feet tickled, as if I was walking on needles. The clouds climbed the ballroom pillars, turning them black. It made its way to the chandelier, warping it from silver to rusted metal and black spikes. The ball that had fallen from the ceiling sat in the middle, bobbing up and down.

Sora didn't hesitate; he ran right at it. I lit my own hands on fire, hoping it would be effective. Sora swung the Keyblade at the darkness ball. The metal collided, knocking the darkness back. I took the change to blast fire ball at it. The darkness burned, causing it to hop around, trying to put it out. Goofy ran straight as it, his shield colliding into it. Donald thrust his staff in the air, calling down lightning to finish it off.

I smiled, relieved it was over already.

Sora gave me a thumbs up.

The floor started shaking. The dark clouds snaked across the floor, gathering at we thought was a corpse. I seeped over the darkness ball, surrounding it, becoming thick webs.

"What is that?" I cried, my eyes glued to the ball that was now halfway to the ceiling.

It burst.

We were all knocked backwards off our feet. My back slammed into a pillar. The air escaped my lungs, and I had a hard time recovering it. I collapsed to the floor on my back. I could breathe a little easier.

The Heartless looked like a monster. Standing on its back legs, it hunched over. Red horns curled out of its skull, glowing in the dim light. Claws dug into the floor.

I swallowed, pushing myself to my feet. The Heartless moved, its strange orange mane moving with it.

"S-Sora," I groaned, holding my side. He ran towards the creature with a slight limp.

The Heartless noticed. The air shimmered around it. The leathery skin grew transparent, until the beast had turned invisible. Sora stopped for a moment, confused as to where it had gone. I could still feel its presence.

"Sora!" I jabbed my finger in the direction of where it was. He ran in the direction, swinging the Keyblade wildly until the metal came in contact with the Heartless. He thrust the weapon more violent than I had ever seen, but it still wasn't enough.

The chandelier.

If it was anything like the one in Faerydae's castle, it would weigh a thousand pounds of metal and glass. I hated to ruin such a beautiful piece, but it had to be done.

"Donald! Get ready off to the side! Goofy, you too!" Donald hesitated, but did what I asked. "Sora, please dodge!"

I raised my hands above my head, focused on the blurry outline of magic that was the creature. Sora glanced up, knowing what I was going to do. He slowed down his attacks, letting the Heartless wander closer to him.

"Now!" I yelled.

A bolt of lightning smashed the top windows of the ballroom and struck the chandelier at its neck. The metal groaned, before snapping. Sora rolled out of the way, leaving the Heartless where it was. The hunk of metal crashed into the beast.

I rushed forward, slamming fireballs through the metal. The leathery skin gave off a burning smell, but I continued. Sora stabbed it several times, while Donald and Goofy attacked its back. Weakened and pinned, the creature let out a piercing final cry.

The body burst into black clouds; the darkness of the ballroom followed. It returned to its normal state, except the broken windows and ruined chandelier.

"Great idea!"Sora slapped my back, nearly knocking me over on my weak knees. I frowned, knowing I was responsible for destroying such a beautiful work of art.

"So you think,"

We spun at the sound of a man's voice. It was the same figure that was standing in Beast's room, trying to manipulate him. I covered the gashed in my clothes, not wanting Organization XIII to know they almost succeeded in their plan.

"Xaldin!" Beast growled, running at him. Sora followed right behind, the Keyblade raised and ready to attack. I didn't bother moving. I could feel the magic gathering for a portal before it even happened. Within a second, Xaldin stepped into it. "Farewell," He muttered, before disapearing.

The rest of us joined Beast and Sora. I tried to hide my limp, knowing Sora would want me to use our minimal potion stash. I didn't get the chance to make many before we landed. I remembered my pot on the stove, and wondered what stage it would be at.

"What does he want here?" Beast looked around, making sure no one else was in the ballroom. His eyes glazed over the chandelier, not seeming to care.

"He must be with Organization XIII. Ever heard of the Nobodies? When a strong-hearted person turns into a Heartless, a Nobody's created, too. See, the Organization...they've got control of all the Nobodies."

"That's right," Goofy continued. "And they were gonna make you into a Heartless. That way, they could get that Nobody of yours and have control over it."

I was glad we could save Beast from that fate. My own was close to that. What would have my Nobody been like? Or, maybe I wouldn't have had one at all and just turned into a Heartless Sora would later destroy. I didn't like that.

"You're alright!"

Belle squeezed through the doors to the main entrance, rushing over. She look relieved we were all okay, especially Beast.

"Belle!"

Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, Chip and Cogsworth followed her, smiling brightly at their master's well-being. Beast hesitated in front of her, unsure of what to do. When he wasn't angry, he really did just seemed like a big puppy.

"Belle... I-I'm sorry-I-I wasn't myself. I hope I haven't done anything to hurt you," Beast glanced at me, eyeing my torn shirt. Belle just smiled, the Beast returning a lopsided grin.

"Forgive me," He asked, sounding as if he was begging.

"I know you weren't yourself. You don't have to apologize. But I had hoped that you might have changed a little bit," She waved her finger at him. "I wish you could start trusting me."

I giggled quietly, half hoping Belle would bop him on the nose with a newspaper. He dropped his head down, clearly sorry, but his grin returned soon after.

"Oh, I am afraid time is running short," Lumiere said to himself.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"Remember the rose?" He turned, glancing at us.

"From the Beast's room?" Sora looked up at the Beast and Belle, but they were too busy in their own little world.

"Precisely," Cogsworth eyed Lumiere, clearly wishing he hadn't brought the subject up at all. "You see, if the master can learn to love, and earn love in return, before the last petal falls, the spell will be broken."

"Really? You think he's gonna make it?" Sora looked at me, and I just shook my head. The spell was too much for me to handle as I was right now, otherwise I would undo it.

"We think so," Mrs. Potts smiled.

"I hope you're right. Maybe one day I'll be strong enough to undo it. You'll just have to keep believing in your master for now." I offered. The objects nodded.

Sora's Keybalde popped into existence. The end gave off a glow, and the air became thick. I took a deep breath and sighed. I didn't quite want to leave yet. This place made me feel like home. But, if the gate was opened, that meant we couldn't stay here forever when other worlds were waiting, including Faerydae.

"What happened?" Beast and Belle had finally joined us.

"The gate is open!" Donald quacked.

"Do you have to go?" Belle gave a small frown. She thought it was too early too.

"Yeah," Sora gave a thumbs up.

"Now, no more arguin', okay?" Goofy directed to Beast. I laughed out loud this time when he looked to Belle, and quickly looked away. Puppy indeed.

Lumiere bowed at our feet.

"We'll see to that,"

"Take care, dears," Mrs. Potts said. "You're welcome here anytime."

I did a short spin and dipped into my best curtsy.

"I will have to take you up on that. I would love to dance in here," I bit my lip. "I'm sorry about the chandelier-"

"Don't." Beast growled. I straightened up, surprised. "I'm, um, sorry for attacking you."

I shook my head, smiling again.


End file.
